Every family probably has go-to recipes that are pretty easy and use ingredients they have on hand. One of mine is healthy shepherd’s pie since it’s potatoes, meat and vegetables.
The last time I made it, I tried something new. I had wanted to do this for a long time but was afraid to hide cauliflower in the mashed potatoes.
I have never really liked cauliflower- I am not a big veggie lover. But I tried to reduce the starch carbs in my diet and kept hearing how you could successfully substitute mashed cauliflower for mashed potato and save a ton of carbs – still, I was scared.
Even so, I picked up a bag of frozen cauliflower and went for it. I didn’t want all cauliflower, so I decided to try 1/2 and 1/2. And in all honesty, it was a great success. After eating it, I told my husband that there was cauliflower in the potatoes, and he didn’t even know it. I did know- and I still thought it was good. I would say the main difference is it is not as fluffy as regular mashed potatoes – since there is less starch- so you have to watch the amount of liquid you add.
I will always do my mashed potatoes like this from now on. I like the added nutrition and reduced calories- it’s a win-win. Try this healthy shepherd’s pie recipe now.
Healthy Shepherd’s Pie With a Secret Twist
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
1 ¼ pound ground turkey (minced turkey) - taco-seasoned- 2 cups mixed vegetables - frozen
2 ¼ cups water- 2 pieces bullion
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ tablespoon lemon juice
Potatoes Ingredients
5 medium potatoes
10 ounces cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 medium egg
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Brown the seasoned turkey on medium in a large skillet that can go into the oven (if possible).
- As the turkey is browning, you need to start the potatoes (see below)
- When the turkey is cooked through and browned slightly, add the 2 cups of frozen vegetables and 2 cups of water, bullion, soy sauce, and lemon juice to the skillet. Make sure to scrape any browned bits from the pan. Mix the 2 tablespoons of corn starch with the remaining 1/4 cup of water and stir to mix. Add the water and cornstarch slurry to the skillet and stir to make it thicker. Stir periodically until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat.
- While the turkey is browning, peel the potatoes and cut them into small uniform cubes- the smaller they are, the faster they cook. Add the cubes to cold water in a pan. Add the frozen cauliflower (I did a rough chop of it so it would be easier to mash in the end) to the water and bring it to a boil over high or medium-high. When it comes to a boil, turn down to medium ad cook until potatoes are soft.
- When the potatoes become soft, remove from heat and drain in a colander and transfer to a sturdy bowl or stand mixer. And milk, salt, and butter and mix on medium until blended (you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spoon or scraper). When blended, add the egg and mix for 30 seconds or so or until combined. The mixture will seem a bit liquid- but it will firm up in the oven.
- Spoon the potato/cauliflower mixture over the filling mixture in the oven-proof skillet. Bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. Don’t worry if some gravy comes up over the potatoes- this is a rustic dish.
- When done, let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
