Will It Taste Good to Use Half Ground Beef and Half Ground Turkey to Make My Shepherds Pie

Turkey Shepherd's Pie: the ultimate hug in a bowl. This meal is a perfect kid-friendly dinner to make for the family, or a delicious lunch to prep for yourself for the week. Turkey shepherds pie features ground turkey and sautéed vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes, baked to perfection. Easy to store and reheat, turkey shepherds pie tastes indulgent, but is comfort food you can feel good about eating.

All about turkey shepherd's pie

Truth be told, I had never eaten shepherd's pie until I created this recipe, but I knew the general idea was appealing; a mixture of ground meat and vegetables, slathered in mashed potatoes? Sign me up!

You might see a recipe like that and just assume it could never be healthy.  I mean, mashed potatoes?  Those aren't "healthy," right?

Wrong. As I always preach, everything in moderation. Just by making a few easy substitutions (i.e. ground turkey, fat free half and half) this recipe is easily lightened up.  And let me tell you, it is certainly not lacking any flavor.

This recipe is so delicious and makes for a perfect meal prep.  It stores really well in the fridge, and reheats so easily. My kids also really enjoy it, so it's totally kid-friendly and approved for the family.  You can't beat it.

So, let's get to cooking!

What you'll need to make turkey shepherd's pie

For the turkey and vegetable filling, you'll need:

• light butter
• onion
• shredded carrots
• garlic
• ground turkey breast
• onion salt
• garlic salt
• dried oregano
• dried thyme
• tomato paste
• Worcestershire
• flour
• reduced sodium chicken broth
• frozen peas

For the mashed potato topping, you'll need:

• russet potatoes
• fat free half and half
• garlic salt
• onion salt

A shortcut I took when I first created this recipe was using these Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash potatoes for the topping.  It eliminates the need to peel, cut and boil potatoes.  But, I will say… I enjoy using the real potatoes here. I feel there is a bit of a difference in the taste!  But, if you're in a pinch, you can totally use these frozen bagged ones as a shortcut.

How to prep the mashed potato topping

I always start this process first, since it takes the longest to prep and boil the potatoes.

Start by peeling the potatoes.  For this recipe, I use 30 oz of potatoes (weighed raw).  This equated to about three medium-sized russet potatoes, which yielded about 3 1/2 cups when chopped.

Peel the potatoes and chop them roughly into large chunks.

Fill a small pot with water and bring the water to a boil, then add the potatoes.

Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender. Then, strain them.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the filling for the shepherd's pie; but for instructional purposes, let's finish this part now!

Mash them with a fork to get the lumps out, and then add the half and half, garlic salt and onion salt.  Stir to combine until they are creamy, like mashed potatoes.  Set them aside until you're ready to use them.

How to make the turkey and vegetable filling

First, get your oven ready by preheating it to 400F.

Cooking the vegetables and turkey

While it preheats, chop your onion and get your carrots ready. In a large, deep frying pan, melt the light butter.  Once it's melted, add the onions and carrots to the pan.  Sauté the vegetables for eight to ten minutes or until they become soft and start to caramelize.

Once the vegetables are cooked down, get the turkey ready to cook.  Here, I used 2 lbs of lean ground turkey breast.  You can use chicken breast, or you can even use lean ground beef.

Get your spices ready too; that's your garlic salt, onion salt, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Add some olive oil spray to your pan.

Add the turkey to the frying pan along with the spices.  Use a wooden spoon to break up the turkey meat.  Cook for another ten minutes, or until the turkey is no longer pink.

After ten minutes, it's time to add some more flavor!  Get your tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce ready to go.

Adding more flavor to the turkey and vegetables

Once the turkey is fully cooked, add the tomato paste and Worcestershire.  Stir the mixture so that everything is incorporated.

Then, sprinkle the flour on top of the mixture.  Make sure the flour coats the turkey.  Then, add the chicken stock.  Cook for just a couple of minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed into the meat.

Now that the mixture is all set, it's time to stir in some frozen peas.  Just add them to the pan, and stir everything together.  There's no need to cook them further; they will defrost super quickly in the mixture.  Since we are cooking this all in the oven anyway, that's all you need to do.

Putting it all together and baking Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Next, grab a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spray it with some cooking spray, and then pour the turkey and vegetable filling mixture in.

Next, plop those deliciously smooth mashed potatoes on top, and spread them out to cover the entire filling. I used an offset spatula to smooth it out.

Pop the pie in the oven at 400F and cook it for 20 minutes.

When it's done, divide it into six equal (really huge, generous) portions and enjoy!  I like to serve mine with green beans on the side.

Storing, reheating and meal prep

This is the most ideal recipe to make ahead of time.  It stores really well if covered in the fridge.  You can either store it in the dish you baked it in (make sure to tightly cover it), or you can portion it out into your meal prep containers.

I haven't tried freezing it, but I suspect this would freeze really well, too.

To reheat, I simply pop a portion at a time into the microwave.

• large deep frying pan

• sauce pan

• mixing bowls

• baking dish, 9 x 13

Turkey and Vegetable Filling

• 1 tablespoon light butter
• 2 cups onion chopped
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 lbs ground turkey breast 99% fat free
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 c frozen peas

Mashed Potato Topping

• 30 oz russet potatoes raw, peeled, approximately 3 medium russet potatoes
• 1 cup fat free half and half
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp onion salt

• Preheat the oven to 400F.

Prepping the Mashed Potato Topping

• Peel and roughly chop the potatoes.

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

• Add the potatoes and boil until they are fork tender.

• Drain the potatoes, and then mash them with a fork.

• Add the half and half, garlic and onion salt, and stir until smooth.

Turkey and Vegetable Filling

• Melt the light butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

• Add the onions and carrots. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until they start to become very tender and cooked down.

• Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

• Add a spritz of olive oil spray to moisten the mixture.

• Add the turkey meat and break it up with a spatula.

• Add the garlic salt, onion salt, oregano and thyme.

• Stir to combine and cook until the turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.

• Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire and stir to combine.

• Sprinkle the flour on top and stir into the mixture.

• Add the chicken broth and cook for another 5 minutes or until the liquid is almost fully absorbed.

• Add the frozen peas and stir to combine.

• Spread the mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

• Pour the mashed potato mixture on top of the turkey filling and spread evenly with a fork.

• Bake at 400 for 25 minutes

Serving: 1 slice | Sodium: 797 mg | Calcium: 83 mg | Vitamin C: 28 mg | Vitamin A: 4188 IU | Sugar: 7 g | Fiber: 4 g | Potassium: 1111 mg | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Calories: 316 kcal | Trans Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Fat: 5 g | Protein: 41 g | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Iron: 3 mg

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