Shepherd’s pie is so delicious, I wish I made it more often. I wanted to create a healthier version and make it taste identical to the original version. This Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is definitely as perfect as it can get for a healthier version. My hubby even said he liked it better than regular shepherd’s pie. So in my book, its a MAJOR win. I really enjoyed it myself too, and the girls had no complaints! The only downfall of making it is it takes more time than my typical 30 minute meals. But on a night where you do have some extra time, or perhaps on the weekend, I hope you give it a try, because you won’t be sorry!
If you don’t have a cast iron pan yet, I highly recommend getting one. They aren’t super expensive and they are the best for meals like this that go from the stove to the oven. I find they are very easy to maintain. You don’t over clean them. I just scrape out the food bits, rinse it in hot water with a dish brush, give it a good rinse and return it to the stove and turn up the heat to let the water evaporate. If needed I’ll add a little mist of oil to keep it nicely seasoned. The only thing I’ve read that isn’t the best for cast iron when its new is tomato based things like tomato sauce. I guess the acid from the tomatoes can prevent the pan from getting well seasoned. But if you have a well season (and well used) cast iron pan, you can use it for allllll the things.
I especially loved the addition of a little grated cheese to the top, but that is totally optional. If you omit that and use vegan margarine, this recipe is dairy-free. But, even regular cheddar cheese (not light) didn’t add many calories or fat to each serving, so I say, why not!
- 5 cups yellow or white potatoes, peeled, cubed into small pieces
- 1 lb (or 454 grams) lean ground turkey
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth - no salt added
- 2 Tbsp butter (or vegan margarine)
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup grated cheddar (as topping, optional. Omit for dairy-free)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large pot, boil the water for the potatoes. When water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil at a low simmer with the lid ajar until they are tender. Drain when they are done.
- Meanwhile, in a large oven proof skillet or cast iron pan, mist with oil and start to brown the raw turkey, breaking it up into smaller pieces. Add in the onion and carrots and cook all together until the meat is browned and the carrots and onions are softened. Add in the peas. and cook together until the peas warm up.
- Add in the ketchup, Worcestershire, dried thyme and stir until combined.
- Once the potatoes are cooked and ready to be mashed, add in ¼ cup chicken broth, 2 Tbsp butter and ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the turkey mixture and sprinkle on the cheddar cheese
- Bake at 400 degrees for around 30 minutes until browned and bubbly. Can also broil for the last few minutes to brown the top.