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A serving spoon lifting a serving of shepherd's pie out of a white casserole dish.
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Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

This ground turkey shepherd’s pie is a comfort food favorite at my house. It is made with a flavorful filling that's loaded with vegetables and topped with fluffy mashed potatoes.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword ground turkey, potatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 377kcal
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

Turkey filling ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion finely diced
  • 2 Large Carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 Celery Rib diced
  • 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 pound Ground Turkey lean but not turkey breast (we used 93/7)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt we used kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Water
  • ¾ cup Frozen Peas defrosted and drained (cooked packaged directions but only about half the time)
  • Chopped Parsley or other fresh herbs for garnish, if desired

Mashed potatoes ingredients:

  • 6 Medium Russet Potatoes (about 2 pounds) peeled and cut into roughly 2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon Salt for the water to cook the potatoes, plus ¾ -1 teaspoon for the finished mashed potatoes, we used kosher salt
  • ¾ - 1 cup Whole Milk warmed through
  • 1-2 tablespoon Butter
  • Pinch Black Pepper

Instructions

  • You will also need: Casserole dish (at least 1.5 quart), large baking sheet

Make the ground turkey filling

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat; add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently.
  • Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook 1 minute, stir frequently.
  • Raise the heat to medium-high and add the ground turkey, salt, oregano, cumin and black pepper. Stir to incorporate the ingredients, while breaking up any large pieces. Cook for approximately 7-8 minutes until browned, and all rendered liquid has cooked out. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons water to the skillet, stir to combine.
  • Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Gently stir in the peas and cook, covered 3-4 more minutes.
  • Taste the ground turkey and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt to ours.

Make the mashed potatoes

  • Start the potatoes while the meat filling cooks.
  • Place the peeled and cut potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water by a couple of inches. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
  • Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a full boil. Lower the heat to medium so that the water is still boiling but not splashing everywhere.
  • Cook the potatoes for 12-15 minutes or until they’re tender. They should break apart easily when pierced with a fork or knife.
  • Drain the potatoes completely.
  • Take the pot off the heat. Add the warm milk to the potatoes a little bit at a time, while mashing with a whisk or masher. Keep mashing and stirring until the potatoes are smooth. Add more or less milk as needed, depending on the consistency you like.
  • When they’re done, add butter, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and let the butter melt. Taste the potatoes and add more salt, if needed.
  • Keep the potatoes warm until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

    Build the shepherd’s pie and bake

    • Add the ground turkey mixture to a large, ovenproof casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly on top of the meat. Arrange the mash so that it covers the entire top.
    • Place the casserole dish on a large baking sheet just in case it bubbles over and for 30 minutes.
    • Garnish with chopped parsley or other fresh herbs if desired. Let the shepherd’s pie rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Suggested order of preparation: After all of the ingredients are prepped and ready to go, start the turkey meat filling. When everything is in the pan and on their way then start the mashed potatoes. The meat will keep on low heat until the potatoes are done.
    To drain the potatoes completely: Use a large strainer, then add the potatoes back to the pot. Place the pot on the same burner that’s still hot (not on) to let any water left in the pot and on the potatoes dry off.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1102mg | Potassium: 1164mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3958IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg