This recipe is great for the fall and holiday season. For me, shepherds pie is a comfort food. It is a simple, but filling meal and it is great to have on a chilly day. I thought I’d try something a little different this time around and my results ended up being really tasty! I pretty much made it up as I went along, so by all means, adjust it to your tastes. I also think you could make this by utilizing your Thanksgiving leftovers! You could substitute shredded turkey for the ground turkey, leftover sides as the vegetables, leftover yams/sweet potatoes for the sweet potato topping, and cranberry sauce for the garnish.
I also made a couple mini pies for my husband and I to take for lunch the next day!
Ingredients
2 Tbl oil (I used grape seed oil, but you can use whatever you prefer)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs sweet potatoes
1.5 lbs turkey, ground
1 Tbl poultry seasoning
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 – 15oz cans of vegetables (here, I used 1 can of green beans and 1 can of corn)
1 Tbl butter or buttery spread (I used Earth Balance)
1 Tbl milk or milk substitute (I used soy milk)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in warm water (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚F
- In a large sauté pan, heat oil and add onion.
- While the onions are cooking, cook your sweet potatoes, then set aside to cool. I used the potato option on my microwave (make sure you poke holes in the skin to prevent the potato from exploding).
- When your onions are starting to turn translucent, add in the garlic. When the onions are done remove them from the pan.
- In the same pan add the turkey, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until brown, then drain.
- Mix the turkey and the onions together and place them at the bottom of your desired baking dish.
- Next, layer your vegetables on top of the turkey.
- Scoop out the insides of your sweet potatoes into a medium sized mixing bowl and mash them with the butter, milk, spices, and syrup.
- Top your shepherds pie with the sweet potato mixture. You may need to use a knife or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
- Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until heated all the way through.
- Top with cranberries and enjoy!
Makes about 4 servings
