Apparently, I may be up to 50% Irish. News to me. The way this Shepherd’s Pie tastes, I could be 100% Irish. This is the perfect dish to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, excellent paired with some Irish coffee and soda bread.
While there are a lot of steps and quite a few ingredients, it’s still easy and fun to make. Feel free to take some shortcuts, like using pre-made mashed potatoes if your schedule doesn’t allow for Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes pressed through a food mill (a workout!). Make the recipe your own by changing up some of the flavors. Don’t like turkey? Use beef. I love garlic, so the majority of my savory recipes are very garlic forward. Don’t use as much if making this recipe for date night.
My favorite part is piping on the potatoes. The food mill tones your arms and creates a super light and fluffy mashed potato that retains some texture and holds its shape when piped. I use a 4B star tip, but I encourage you to get creative with the design! Save a few minutes by just spooning the potatoes on top, spreading evenly. Top with cheddar cheese and broil to create an amazing, golden-brown crust.
Shepherd’s Pie
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: Irish, St. Patrick’s DayDifficulty: Easy12
servings20
minutes1
hour30
minutes470
kcalA lighter take on Shepherd’s Pie, using turkey instead of beef or lamb and mashed potatoes with less fat.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey
3 carrots diced, (about 2 cups)
1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp flour
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
3 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground oregano
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp dried parsley
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn (optional)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, finely grated (optional)
parsley, fresh or dried, for garnish
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 cup low fat milk
2 tbsp butter
3 bulbs garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
- Special Equipment
Food mill or potato masher, piping bag, #4B icing tip
Directions
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Leaving the bulb in tact, cut about 1/2 inch from the top (pointy end) of each bulb.
- Drizzle on 2 tbsp olive oil and wrap with aluminum foil, before baking for 40-60 minutes, or until golden brown and very fragrant.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, before adding about 2 tbsp of salt. Add in potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until fork-tender.
- Drain potatoes and add in milk, butter, and salt. Squeeze in bulbs of roasted garlic, discarding the skin.
- Run potato mixture through a food mill for extra light and fluffy mashed potatoes. A potato masher would also work here. NEVER put potatoes in a blender or food processor.
- If desired, scoop potatoes into a piping bag fitted with a number 4B tip, or any preferred star tip.
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Heat a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Brown ground turkey, cooking until all pink has disappeared, about 8 minutes.
- Remove turkey from the pan and add 1 tbsp more of olive oil. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 7 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
- Add in minced garlic and sauté 5 minutes more.
- Stir in flour, making sure there are no large clumps. Deglaze the pan with white wine, cooking 2 minutes more.
- Add in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, thyme, oregano, parsley, and paprika and let simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish.
- Add back in the turkey, pour in frozen peas and corn, and salt and pepper. Pour mixture into the baking dish, spreading across evenly.
- Neatly pipe rosettes of mashed potatoes across the top until all of the meat mixture is covered. If not piping, neatly spread potatoes on top of meat mixture.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until meat filling is bubbling and potatoes are starting to brown.
- Sprinkle on some optional cheddar cheese and place under the broiler (550ºF) until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are golden brown.
- Let set 5 minutes and top with parsley.
Notes
- The food mill creates a ridiculously creamy, fluffy batch of mashed potatoes that is perfect for piping.
- Feel free to use beef or lamb instead of turkey.
- Cauliflower mash would also work as a lower carb alternative!
