Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Buttery Cauliflower Mash is delicious comfort food. This recipe is lightened up with ground turkey and a mashed cauliflower topping. Frozen mixed vegetables speed up the recipe prep.
ground turkey shepherd’s pie
Shepherd’s pie is comfort food that is always welcome at the dinner table. It’s basically a hearty casserole with layers of seasoned ground meat and vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes. I tinkered with the classic recipe to lighten up the dish.
Ground turkey stands in for the typical ground beef or lamb. And a buttery and cheesy Parmesan cauliflower mash tops the single serving shepherd’s pies instead of mashed potatoes. Serve for dinner tonight or store in the refrigerator or freezer for a meal at the ready any night of the week.
ingredients for ground turkey shepherd’s pie
- cauliflower
- garlic
- salted butter
- Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt
- pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- onion
- mushrooms
- ground turkey
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato paste
- all purpose flour
- red wine
- frozen mixed vegetables
- fresh parsley
- paprika
The origin of shepherd’s pie is from the English and Irish kitchens of the late 1800s. It was a hearty meat pie casserole with a rich lamb or beef and vegetable filling hidden under a generous portion of creamy mashed potatoes. Taking culinary liberties, I altered the original recipe with a few time saving steps on the stove top and lightened up the ingredients.
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how to make the best ground turkey shepherd’s pie
- Make the cauliflower mash ~ Mash cooked cauliflower with salted butter, Parmesan cheese and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Sauté the filling ~ Sauté onion, mushrooms, garlic. Add and sauté ground turkey and season with kosher salt pepper.
- Add seasonings ~ Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine add rich flavor to the ground turkey filling.
- Make individual servings ~ Divide filling between single serve dishes and top with mashed cheesy cauliflower.
- Bake ~ Heat to piping hot goodness!
chef cooking tips for making ground turkey shepherd’s pie
Traditionally made with leftovers including roasted lamb or beef, steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes, I streamlined the recipe with some shortcuts.
- Sub in frozen cauliflower ~ My first choice is to use fresh cauliflower for the mash. In a pinch, use frozen cauliflower florets instead.
- Use your favorite ground meat ~ Ground turkey is used for the meat filling. Ground beef, veal, lamb, pork or a combination of meats are also good filling substitutes.
- Substitute for the red wine ~ Instead of red wine (Merlot and Pinot Noir are delicious options) use chicken or beef stock.
- Add different frozen veggies ~ Feel free to add your favorite frozen vegetable combinations.
- Make single servings ~ Instead of serving the casserole family style, portion the savory filling and creamy topping into individual servings. Some options for serving the shepherd’s pies are 2 cup glass containers, small metal pie pans or small foil pie pans. Not only do the single size meals fit into today’s busy lifestyle but, they are fun to eat.
how to store and reheat homemade shepherd’s pie
Shepherd’s pie can be stored either baked or unbaked. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months. Heat refrigerated shepherd’s pie covered with foil in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat frozen shepherd’s pie covered with foil in a 375 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes.
Did you make this tasty Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie recipe? I’d love hearing from you if you did! Be sure to leave a comment. Or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories. I love seeing all your creations.
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more Irish recipes to try
- Irish Stew with Lamb and Guinness
- Rustic Irish Soda Bread with Cranberries and Currants
- Easy Drop Blueberry Scone Recipe
- Crazy Good Reuben Casserole
- Mint Chocolate Fudge Brownies
This recipe was originally posted in February 2016. Updates in March 2022 include photographs, a video, and detailed recipe instructions.
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Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Buttery Cauliflower Mash
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Buttery Cauliflower Mash is delicious comfort food. This recipe is lightened up with ground turkey and a mashed cauliflower topping. Frozen mixed vegetables speed up the recipe prep.
Ingredients
- For the cauliflower mash ~
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut in florets, about 4 to 5 cups
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt
- pepper
- For the meat and vegetable filling ~
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 10–ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the cauliflower mash ~ Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and garlic and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the cauliflower in a colander and return to the pot. Add the salted butter and Parmesan cheese and mash the cauliflower. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside
- Make the meat and vegetable filling ~ In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is heated, add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms begin to lose their moisture and soften.
- Add the ground turkey, kosher salt and pepper and cook until the turkey is browned and crumbled, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste.
- Sprinkle the ground turkey with the flour and stir to incorporate.
- Add the red wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in the mixed vegetables and parsley.
- Divide the meat and vegetable filling between 4 ~ 2 cup glass containers or other oven safe dishes. Top with the mashed cauliflower and sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until piping hot. Remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
- Sub in frozen cauliflower ~ My first choice is to use fresh cauliflower for the mash. In a pinch, use frozen cauliflower florets instead.
- Use your favorite ground meat ~ Ground turkey is used for the meat filling. Ground beef, veal, lamb, pork or a combination of meats are also good filling substitutes.
- Substitute for the red wine ~ Instead of red wine (Merlot and Pinot Noir are delicious options) use chicken or beef stock.
- Add different frozen veggies ~ Feel free to add your favorite frozen vegetable combinations.
- Make single servings ~ Instead of serving the casserole family style, portion the savory filling and creamy topping into individual servings. Some options for serving the shepherd’s pies are 2 cup glass containers, small metal pie pans or small foil pie pans. Not only do the single size meals fit into today’s busy lifestyle but, they are fun to eat.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: entree
- Method: cook on stovetop and bake
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 single serving
- Calories: 391
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 629 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 40.3 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
Keywords: shepherd’s pie, ground turkey shepherd’s pie, dinner ideas
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