Description
This Healthy Shepherd’s Pie is a nutritious twist on the classic comfort dish, featuring ground turkey and a creamy cauliflower-potato mash topping. Packed with vegetables like carrots, peas, and corn, and flavored with herbs and parmesan cheese, this shepherd’s pie is both hearty and wholesome. Perfect for a family dinner, it’s baked to golden perfection in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable Mash Topping
- 1 ½ cups russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups cauliflower florets
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Turkey Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup peas
- 1 cup corn
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8×8 or 9×13 inch casserole dish to prevent sticking.
- Cook potatoes and cauliflower: In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the peeled and chopped russet potatoes along with the cauliflower florets. Cook until both are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Then drain thoroughly.
- Prepare filling: While the vegetables boil, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned and no longer pink. Stir in diced onion, minced garlic, and diced carrots. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Pour in chicken stock and add the tomato paste, stirring to combine. Finally, mix in peas and corn, allowing the mixture to cook through and flavors to meld.
- Make topping: Transfer the drained potatoes and cauliflower to a bowl. Mash them together with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble and bake: Spoon the turkey and vegetable filling evenly into the prepared casserole dish. Spread the mashed cauliflower and potato mixture over the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or lean beef.
- You can prepare this dish a day ahead and bake it fresh when ready.
- For a vegetarian version, replace meat with lentils and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- Adding a bit of shredded cheese on top before baking can create an extra cheesy crust.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
