Shepherd's Pie with Turkey and Mashed Cauliflower Recipe Card
This easy Shepherd’s Pie with turkey is light, meaty and layered with healthy mashed cauliflower. Ground turkey is cooked with a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery. It’s filling and a low-carb version of classic Scotch-Irish comfort food.Low-Carb12g net carbs/serving
Ingredients
- 450 g Ground Turkey 1 lb
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Carrots diced
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 2 Celery Sticks diced
- ¼ cup Frozen Peas thawed
- ¾ cup Chicken Broth
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Arrowroot starch
- ½ tsp Oregano dried
- ¼ tsp Thyme dried
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 4 cups Mashed Cauliflower recipe link in the post
Instructions
- Prepare the cauliflower mash as directed, using a whole head of cauliflower. Dice the veggies for the mirepoix into equal sizes and keep them aside. Keep the frozen peas out in a strainer inside a bowl to defrost while you make the shepherd’s pie filling.
- Heat a saute pan on medium heat and add olive oil and garlic. Add the trio of veggies and sautee for about five minutes until translucent. Add salt and pepper and herbs to your desired preference.
- Add ground turkey to the vegetables and use a spatula to break the turkey into small pieces. While it cooks, use a flat-edged spatula to cut and loosen the meat. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the meat has browned.
- Add chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 5 mins to absorb the flavours into the meat and vegetables.
- Bring up the heat and add two tablespoons of tomato paste and two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Mix it all up and cook on medium heat.
- Mix the arrowroot starch with some liquid in a small bowl until combined, and stir it into the meaty gravy until it becomes thick. Switch off the heat immediately and stir in the drained peas. Add extra spices, salt and pepper for extra taste if required.
- Transfer the meat filling into a 9×13 inch baking dish, and spoon the mashed cauliflower over it first, then use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly to cover the filling completely.
- Make patterns with a fork on the mashed cauliflower, then bake the pie in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes to warm up the mash. Turn on the broiler setting and broil the mash surface until it has browned on top. The cauliflower mash will puff up like regular mash.
Notes
Tips for making Shepherd’s Pie with Turkey and Mashed Cauliflower?
- Boil, steam, Instant Pot the cauliflower, but whichever way you cook it, ensure it is fork tender and try not to overcook it.
- This pie uses ground meat and shouldn’t be lumpy, so break up the meat evenly with a spatula to mix it with the sauteed vegetables.
- Arrowroot starch thickens the gravy in this pie, but first, you must make it into a slurry with liquid. Then mix it into the meat filling towards the end before transferring it to the baking dish.
- The pie filling is already hot, and too much heat may cause the arrowroot starch to break down, making the sauce watery, so it’s best to bake the pie for at most 10 minutes to warm up the cauliflower mash without overcooking the gravy.