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Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Turkey Shepherd's Pie is a lightened up version of Shepherd's Pie with ground turkey. This shepherds pie is filled with vegetables and topped with cauliflower mash, and is a great low-carb dinner idea!

Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash

A combination of the winter and pregnancy has me craving comfort food, constantly. Comfort food, to me, is usually meat and potatoes. Sometimes pasta. Sometimes soup and sometimes anything covered in cheese. But a lot of meat and potatoes. That's (almost entire) what Turkey Shepherds Pie is!

As an attempt to enjoy the feeling and flavors of comfort food but perhaps lighten things up a bit, I created this Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash! And let me tell you - it did not disappoint. It was delicious, filling, and healthy to boot!

Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients in Ground Turkey Shepherds Pie

This recipe for shepherd's pie with ground turkey uses simple and wholesome ingredients.

Ground Turkey - lean ground turkey lightens up the traditional shepherds pie recipe.

Onion and Garlic - both are added and sautéed with the ground turkey.

Flour - all purpose flour helps thicken the filling.

Chicken Broth

Worcestershire Sauce - this is added for flavoring. It adds a sweet and savory element along with a little bit of tang.

Tomato Paste - tomato paste adds a little bit of depth to the filling.

Dried herbs - Dried thyme and rosemary are used to add some earthy flavor to the dish.

Frozen Vegetables - a combination of carrots, peas, and corn make up the vegetables in this turkey shepherds pie filling.

Cauliflower - cauliflower is used in place of potatoes in the topping of this shepherds pie with ground turkey.

Garlic Powder - added to the cauliflower filling for a little bit of flavor.

Cream Cheese - this makes the cauliflower mash creamy.

Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie

How to Make Turkey Shepherd's Pie

This recipe has a few steps, but if you can multitask in the kitchen, it should be pretty straightforward.

Prep the cauliflower. Chop up the cauliflower and then steam it. I like to do it on the stovetop, but you can also steam it in the microwave, if you prefer.

Make cauliflower topping. Once the cauliflower is done steaming, you will drain it, and then puree it with cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor.

Make the turkey mixture. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey over medium heat. Once it's almost cooked, add the onion to get it softened a bit. Then add the garlic and the flour, which will help thicken then mixture. cook it for another minute and then slowly add the chicken broth, stirring constantly to get everything incorporated together. Next, add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, herbs, salt, pepper, and the frozen veggies and mix well to combine. And that's it - your filling is done!

Assemble. Add the filling mixture an oven-safe dish, top with the cauliflower mash in an even layer, and bake it to bubbly perfection! Serve and enjoy.

Leftovers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

We all devoured this meal and there were actually no leftovers after this dinner. Now that speaks for itself!

Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie Recipe FAQ's

What is Shepherd's Pie?

Shepherd's Pie (also known as cottage pie) is a hearty savory dish that has a meat and vegetable filling and is traditionally topped with mashed potatoes. The dish is baked and served as a casserole. The dish can be made with ground lamb, ground beef, or as in this recipe, ground turkey.

What if I don't like cauliflower?

You can definitely do a mashed potato topping, instead! You could buy refrigerated mashed potatoes, or make your own mashed potato topping.

What should I serve with shepherd's pie?

Since shepherd's pie is pretty hearty, I would recommend serving this with a light side salad and maybe a loaf of bread.

Can this be a freezer meal?

Definitely! This can easily be made into a freezer meal. Simply prepare the dish in a casserole dish up until the step of baking it. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, label it, and then freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then sit out on the counter for at least 30 more minutes to thaw completely. Bake according to instructions. Add 10 minutes to the baking time as the dish will be starting from a much colder temperature.

Like this shepherd's pie recipe? Check these out, too:

Turkey Quinoa Chili

Turkey Tetrazzini

Instant Pot Bacon Turkey Cheeseburger Soup

Turkey Tater Tot Casserole from Drizzle Me Skinny

Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash

Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Mash

A lightened up version of Shepherd's Pie made with ground turkey and topped with a simple cauliflower mash!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Irish
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 405kcal

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Mash:

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 ½ cups frozen vegetable mix with corn, carrots, and peas
  • fresh thyme, for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Cut the florets from the core of the cauliflower head.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil and add the cauliflower.
  • Boil cauliflower until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Drain from the water and then place the steamed cauliflower in a large food processor.
  • Process until pureed.
  • Add the cream cheese, garlic powder, and salt, and process until combined, scraping down the edges a couple of times.
  • Meanwhile, make the filling.
  • Add the turkey to a large skillet and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
  • Once cooked, add the olive oil and onion, and cook until the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook one more minute.
  • Add the flour, stirring to combine, and cook one more minute.
  • Slowly add the broth, stirring well to combine.
  • Add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary, and stir well to combine.
  • Stir in the frozen vegetables to combine.
  • Transfer the filling to a greased 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish.
  • Top with the cauliflower mash.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the top is starting to become golden.
  • Serve with fresh thyme. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1096mg | Potassium: 1119mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3936IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @greensnchocolate to let me know!
Need more ideas?Find all of my recipe pins @greenschocolate

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Recipe Rating




  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is the best. I make it for my family and I all the time. My 5 year old loves it and so does my picky husband 🙂