Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is a veggie-filled casserole of rich, creamy cauliflower, seasonings, and ground turkey. It’s the perfect meal for this time of year – warm, satisfying, and extra cozy!

The most delicious shepherd’s pie recipe

What’s hearty, filling, and satisfying, and comes in a casserole dish large enough to feed a crowd? Shepherd’s pie, of course! But, not any shepherd’s pie. Turkey shepherd’s pie.

This delicious meal is filled with everything cozy and tasty. It’s loaded with veggies and seasoned to perfection with rosemary, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and more. And it even uses healthier ingredients to provide extra nutrients and less fat.

I love to eat this dish when I find myself craving something warm and filling, and it’s so good that you’ll usually catch me grabbing a second plate. Even better is that my family gets so excited when I prepare this, because it’s that darn tasty!

So, if you’ve been looking for something extra cozy or you need a recipe idea to feed a crowd, this is it.

Ingredients in ground turkey shepherd’s pie

This turkey shepherd’s pie recipe consists of the pie filling and the cauliflower “mash” topping. For both parts, we’re loading up on the seasonings and including a delicious combo of ingredients!

Cauliflower Mash Topping:

• Cauliflower: The first ingredient of this dish is the cauliflower. You’ll need to chop up 2 medium heads, as we’ll be using this as the main portion of the “mash” topping!
• Ghee or Butter: Include 2 tbsp of either ghee or butter for rich, creamy flavor.
• Salt: I like to add salt in the amount of 1 tbsp.
• Pepper: Finally, throw in 1/2 tsp of pepper.

Pie Filling:

• Avocado oil: For the pie filling, we’ll start with 2 tbsp of avocado oil.
• Yellow onion: Next, dice up a large yellow onion.
• Carrots: For extra crunch, add 4 large, chopped carrots. You’ll want the pieces to be pretty small.
• Mushrooms: Next, you’ll need 8 oz of roughly chopped mushrooms.
• Garlic: Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, for obvious reasons!
• Seasonings: As for the additional seasonings, include 1 tsp of dried rosemary, thyme, and salt (each), and 1/2 tsp of pepper.
• Ground turkey: Finally, add the meat! We’ll be using 1 lb of ground turkey.
• Broth: For the broth, you can use either chicken or beef. Use 1 cup.
• Tomato paste: Next, add 1/4 cup of tomato paste.
• Worcestershire sauce: Include 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor.
• Frozen veggies: Finally, add 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 cup of frozen corn.

Tools needed to create this dish

Ground turkey shepherd’s pie involves prepping ingredients, sautéing, and baking, so we’ll need the appropriate tools. Here’s a complete list of everything you’ll need:

• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Large saucepan and lid
• Food processor
• Spatula
• Stirring utensil
• 9×13 baking dish

And for measuring, grab these sizes: 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/4 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make turkey shepherd’s pie

This turkey shepherd’s pie recipe takes less than an hour to come together, including the prep, sautéing, and baking. We’ll start by softening the cauliflower, and then we’ll move to the sautéing.

Finally, we’ll brown the turkey and assemble and bake the dish, cooking it to golden brown deliciousness.

To begin, preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and add them to a large saucepan.

Next, add 2 cups of water the pan and set the heat to medium-high. Cover with a lid.

Let the cauliflower cook until it’s fork tender, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, dump the remaining water.

Add the cauliflower to a food processor with ghee, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.

Add avocado oil to a large sauce pan. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, and mushrooms.

Then, let the veggies sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir until well combined.

Next, add the ground turkey and cook it until it’s no longer pink.

Pour in the broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well combined, and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the peas and corn and stir. Turn off the heat.

Pour the filling into the bottom of the 9×13 dish.

Add the cauliflower mash evenly on top of the filling and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Optionally, broil for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top.

A healthier option… yes!

If you’ve ever had shepherd’s pie, you know it’s a potato fest. It’s loaded up with rich and creamy mashed potatoes, and it’s to die for! Well, this recipe is just as mouth watering, but it actually doesn’t use any potatoes. Instead, we achieve that mashed goodness by using cauliflower. Yep, it’s true! And it’s so good.

In addition to swapping the cauliflower, we’re using ground turkey rather than ground beef. This is a great lean protein option that’s just as yummy but contains less fat!

What’s more, this dish is seriously loaded up with vegetables. Think carrots, onion, peas, corn… we’re talking a nutrient powerhouse!

Finally, I included the option of using chicken broth in place of beef broth. This gives you the option to once again include a lower-fat ingredient.

Wondering what to do with leftover turkey shepherd’s pie? Easy! Stick it in a container and keep it refrigerated. I recommend enjoying the yummy leftovers within 2-3 days for the best flavor.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Cozy recipes are the best! From casserole to muffins and salad to burgers, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Dig in!

• Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Casserole
• Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins
• Fall Harvest Salad
• Cheesy Sweet Potato Gratin
• Fall Apple Turkey Burgers

Recipe by Erin Morrissey + Photos by The Mindful Hapa.