Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Cheddar Cauliflower is a lighter, healthier pie than your standard pub version; baked in a skillet, it’s a one-pan wonder meal.
Do you ever wonder what to do with your ground turkey?
There was a ground turkey sale some time ago because I had four packages in my freezer. Either that or I had forgotten on three separate occasions that I already had a package in the freezer.
That’s probably more likely. I wanted to make Shepherd’s Pie, but I didn’t have any ground beef. So all I had was ground turkey.
Swapping out ground beef for turkey can end in a dry and un-flavorful dish. Ground beef is flavorful, juicy and, well, fatty. Our taste buds respond to that kind of thing. And Shepherd’s Pie packs a flavour punch. This was going to be one big challenge.
Appetizing Turkey Shepherd’s Pie With Mashed Cheddar Cauliflower
Ingredients
Meat Filling Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion - chopped
2 medium carrots - diced small
1 pound ground turkey (minced turkey) - 93% lean
3 teaspoons tomato paste
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper - to taste
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary - crushed
½ cup peas - fresh or frozen
½ cup corn - fresh or frozen
Cauliflower Ingredients
16 ounce cauliflower - grated
½ tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper - to taste
1¼ cup cheddar cheese - white sharp and shredded
Instructions
- Drizzle enough olive oil to cover the bottom of your pan in an oven-proof skillet. Heat over medium heat, adding onion when the oil starts to “shimmer”. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add carrots and cook for another 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add in turkey and cook until the turkey is no longer pink for approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
- Lower heat to low and add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. If the mixture looks dry, try adding a tablespoon of water.
- Add in peas and carrots, and mix until heated through. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, cook cauliflower rice on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir and test for doneness. If cauliflower isn’t heated up, continue to cook at 1-minute intervals.
- Puree cauliflower until smooth using a food processor, blender or immersion blender, puree cauliflower until smooth. Add in butter, half and half, salt and pepper. Blend well.
- Add in cheese and puree for 10 seconds.
- Spoon cauliflower mixture on top of ground turkey and smooth into one layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cauliflower has slightly browned.
- Serve immediately and garnish with shredded cheese, if desired.
