While most shepherd's pie recipes are made with beef, we adapted this one to suit our family by using ground turkey, more veggies, and cutting back a little on the potato topping. While I love the topping, we wanted this one not quite as thick as some. Kevin loves that it gets a bit "crispy" as he put it, while John and love the filling below. Best of all, this recipe is pretty adaptable to include whatever vegetables work for your family. If you don't have chili sauce, feel free to use ketchup.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup canned corn, drained
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
3/4 cup carrots (either frozen or fresh, peeled and chopped into pea-sized pieces)
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp chili sauce
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/3 cup milk, warmed in the microwave until hot
Pre-heat oven to 375 F.
Place the potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender.
Meanwhile, using a large skillet, fry the onions in a little olive oil until softened. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant. Push the onions to one side of the pan and add the turkey, pushing around the pan and breaking apart with a spoon. When the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, drain off any fat, then add the paprika, salt, pepper, and thyme. Continue to stir and cook for about another minute.
If you are using fresh carrots, microwave them with a little bit of water on high until they are tender crisp. Drain well. Stir corn, peas, and carrots into the cooked ground turkey.
In a bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and flour until smooth. Stir into the turkey and vegetable mixture over medium low heat and continue to stir, cooking, for about 5 minutes while it thickens up and coats the meat and vegetables.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain well and then return to the pot. Mash in about 2 tbsp of unsalted butter, then add milk and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread the meat mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over top, right to the edges. Bake for 25 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6
Printer-friendly version