It was exactly 15 years ago that I sat at the table of a sweet elderly friend and ate Shepherd's Pie on an abnormally sunny day in West Yorkshire, England. Since then, I've tried to create that same comfortable meal and I feel like I've finally gotten pretty close. Now, if only I could transport all of you to a quaint British dining room with sheep herding on the green nearby hills. Then, you'd have the final ingredient to this Shepherd's Pie.
The meaty bottom layer and all it's gravy-ness is the perfect compliment to the mashed potatoes. Please, please (PLEASE!) don't wimp out on making the layer of mashed carrots. I know, it'd be easier to just throw in a bag of frozen peas and carrots or something, but the mashed carrots are perfect and don't take too much extra time to make.
This is a wonderful recipe to whip up with leftover gravy and mashed potatoes. Sometimes, when I made Sunday dinner I purposely make a huge amount of mashed potatoes just so I can save them in the fridge for making this delicious meal the following day or two. The leftover gravy could easily displace the 1 cup beef broth and turkey gravy packet.
Makes 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
for mashed potatoes - you could also use leftover mashed potatoes
6 large potatoes, peeled, and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup Milk, half and half, or cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
for mashed carrots
10 medium carrotts, peeled, and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 of a medium-sized onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 packet of turkey gravy
1 - 1 1/2 cups peas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Set oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 x 13 glass pan and set it aside. Side note: I find it best to do steps 2 and 3 at the same time to save some time.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cubed potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and add butter, milk (or half and half or cream), and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. Bring a medium sized pot of salted water to boil. Add sliced carrots and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain carrots and add butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and ground turkey and cook until it is well browned. Pour off excess fat. Stir in the flour, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and turkey gravy packet. Cook for about 2-4 minutes or until thickened.
5. Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of the 9 x 13 glass pan. Evenly top the meat with peas. Carefully spread a layer of mashed carrots over the peas and meat using a rubber spatula. Top it with an evenly spread layer of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the mashed potatoes.
6. Make in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve.
