Turkey Shepherd's Pie With Two-Potato Topping (Or Chicken)

This is the ultimate Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner leftover recipe. The recipe keeps in mind that the ingredients being used are from separate dishes that are *already* seasoned. If you are making either of the potatoes from scratch for the recipe, go ahead and season them as if you were making that dish to serve as a side. The same with the gravy, if it is not homemade roasted turkey gravy, add some more seasoning to it. Of course you do not have to have leftovers to make this, but it is a good way to use up the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and gravy without the dish tasting like leftovers. I have also made it with chicken with excellent results. This is a real family pleaser and our 4 year old actually asks for this for dinner a lot. The original recipe was adapted from Chef Jimmy Bradley of the Red Cat in New York City. It can also be prepared in individual 1 1/2-cup ramekins; check them for doneness after 20 minutes. WINE: A bighearted Chardonnay will echo the texture of the smooth gravy and the soft mashed potato topping. Look for a reasonably priced, fruity wine, such as Australia’s 1999 Rosemount or the 1999 Lindemans Bin 65.

• Ready In: 32 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon butter, melted
• 1  medium onion, finely chopped
• 1  medium celery rib, finely chopped
• 1  medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 4  cups turkey meat (raw or cooked) or 4  cups chicken, diced (raw or cooked)
• 1 -1 1⁄2 cup  turkey gravy (amount depends on how dry your ingredients are...) or 1 -1 1⁄2 cup  chicken gravy (amount depends on how dry your ingredients are...)
• 2  tablespoons  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2  teaspoons sage, finely chopped
•  salt
•  fresh ground pepper
• 2  cups mashed potatoes
• 1  cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 2  tablespoons chives, minced
• 1  large egg, beaten

Directions

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook over low heat until softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in turkey or chicken and cook until heated through. Add the gravy and orange juice to the mixture and cook until bubbling. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and sage and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a round, oval or 9-by-12-inch baking dish and let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, mix both potatoes together and add chives. Season with salt and pepper and beat in the egg. Spread the potatoes over the filling and brush the top with the melted butter.
3. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie stand for about 10 minutes before serving.