Warm Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Flavorful and rich but lighter than classic beef Shepherd's Pie recipes. Simple mashed potatoes top a delicious filling of ground turkey, carrots, parsnips and sage. This dish can be assembled ahead and baked for a filling, comforting fall meal.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Mashed potatoes
- 1.5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed about 4 medium potatoes
- 1/2 cup milk or half and half
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Turkey filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 stalk celery, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped fine
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 pounds ground turkey we used ground turkey thigh meat for a richer flavor
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour *gluten-free option in notes
- 3/4 cup Taking Stock Foods Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Getting started
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large saucepan, cover peeled and chopped potatoes with cold water. Salt generously. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until very tender. Test doneness by removing a potato cube and lightly smashing it with a spoon. The potato should crumble with very little effort.
- While the potatoes are cooking, choose a large frying pan at least 10 inches across with sides that are at least 2 inches high. You will assemble your Shepherd's Pie in this pan, so make sure there's enough room for the turkey filling and the potatoes. If you don't have a pan that is very large, you could assemble the Shepherd's Pie in a Dutch oven or a casserole dish. Heat olive oil over medium high heat and add the ingredients from "turkey filling" up to the salt. Sautee, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, 5-10 minutes. Remove the sauteed veggies to a large bowl, scraping the pan clean of any little veggie pieces.
- Add the butter to the used pan and melt over medium heat. Add the turkey, breaking large chunks up into pieces no larger than your thumb. Let the turkey cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes, to help develop some color. Stir and break up the turkey, continuing to cook and brown the meat until it is completely cooked through with no raw pink spots.
- While pan continues to cook over medium heat, sprinkle the cooked turkey meat with flour (see note for gluten-free instruction), stir to coat. Add Taking Stock Classic Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth and allow the liquid in the pan to thicken for a few minutes. Add the vegetables back to your pan and stir to combine.
Assembling your Shepherd's Pie
- Once your potatoes are cooked, drain them and mash them using a ricer, a vegetable masher or, in a pinch, a fork. Add the milk or half and half and the sour cream to the mashed potatoes and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- If your using the frying pan you cooked the turkey filling in, level out the turkey filling so that it is evenly distributed. If using one of the alternative cooking vessels suggested, transfer your turkey filling to your cooking vessel and distribute it in there. Spoon large quantities of mashed potatoes over the top of your turkey filling. The trick here is to distribute your mashed potatoes evenly and thoroughly so that you can spread them without too much trouble. Spread your mashed potatoes to create an even layer. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake in your oven for about 35 minutes, until hot and bubbly. You can broil the Shepherd's Pie for a few minutes to brown the top at the end of cooking. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve hot.
Notes
To make your Shepherd's Pie gluten-free, omit the flour and replace it with a couple of cubes of the cooked mashed potatoes you prepared for the topping of the pie. Your filling won't have the creamy thickness that you would get from the flour, but it will still be absolutely delicious.