Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner so it’s the perfect time for shepherd’s pie. I love this turkey shepherd’s pie. It’s comforting, hearty (but not nap inducing) and so much tastier than what you’ll get at a bar or restaurant. The fresh garlic, rosemary, and thyme infuse the ground turkey with bold flavor. And, the mashed potatoes are so smooth and creamy, you’ll be tempted to eat ’em all before you get your pie in the oven.

Shepherd’s pie is a wonderful entree, because it’s all inclusive. It has everything a balanced meal should- protein, carbs, and vegetables. So if you make this for dinner, you don’t have to bother steaming up vegetables or any other side dish.

St. Patrick’s Day is such a fun holiday! I’m half Irish, so I especially love celebrating St. Patty’s Day and my heritage (or whatever it is we all drink to!). I always wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, which isn’t hard since green is the color I wear most and enjoy a tall glass of Guinness.

Whether you’re Irish or not, everyone gets to be on St. Patrick’s Day! So grab a Guinness and let’s whip up some turkey shepherd’s pie.

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. scallions, minced

Meat Filling

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 & 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup peas, frozen

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set place in large bowl.
2. While potatoes are cooking, prepare meat filling. Place saute pan on medium-high heat. Once warm add olive oil. Add onion and cook for 1 & 1/2 minutes. Add carrots and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until onions are tender. Stir in ground turkey, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook until ground turkey is cooked and lightly brown.
3. Sprinkle meat with flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in an additional 1 tbsp. flour if sauce hasn’t yet thickened. Stir in peas.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. Mash potatoes with handheld masher. Mix in milk, butter, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and scallions. Let sit for two minutes.
6. In bottom of a 2 quart baking dish, layer turkey mixture then mashed potatoes. Smooth mashed potatoes with spatula, covering edges. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes brown slightly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I am taking this to Fiesta Friday #110 co-hosted by The Not So Creative Cook and Eating Well Diary.