Sunday, November 17, 2013

Easy Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Easy Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I've been making this recipe for years and it's always a quick and easy family favorite.  I hope your family loves it just as much as mine does.

Shepherd's Pie is probably one of the most popular and versatile Irish dishes on the planet!  I've seen it made with ground beef, left over pot roast, lamb and just about any other meat you can imagine.  You can add just about any vegetable you like and give it a different ethnic twist, make it more or less colorful and completely change the flavor.

Today, I'm keeping the recipe fairly traditional, just cutting some calories here and there, and using ground turkey (our family's preference) instead of beef or lamb.   My mother does a mix of turkey and extra lean ground beef, so that's a great alternative for those of you who aren't the greatest fans of the turkey.

Easy Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 4-6

Easy Ground Turkey
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients:
  • 4-5 large russet potatoes, washed, peeled and quartered 
  • 1/2 cup low-fat or skim milk
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped, fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 tbsp. corn starch
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 10-12 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the milk and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a potato masher or an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside.Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the ground turkey and season with salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, stir and cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until turkey is cooked through.
  4. Stir in the peas and carrots, remove from the heat and set aside.
  5. In a small saucepan, heat the Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth on medium heat. Season with pepper to taste.
  6. Dissolve the corn starch in a glass with 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix with a fork until completely dissolved and no lumps are present.
  7. Whisk the dissolved corn starch into the chicken broth just before boiling. Whisk until a thick gravy is formed and remove from heat.
  8. Pour the gravy into the ground turkey mixture. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Transfer to a medium size casserole dish.
  9. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the ground turkey mixture with a spoon until completely covered. Top with smoked paprika.
  10. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are slightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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