Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie (Turkey Dinner Shortcut!)
This Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie is the dinner you need when you want the nostalgic flavor of turkey dinner, but you don't want to roast a whole turkey or spend your entire day making it happen. Ground turkey, cozy herbs, vegetables, and comforting gravy get topped with spoonfuls of cranberry sauce and tucked under a layer of creamy mashed potatoes, then baked until bubbling.
It's all the cozy Thanksgiving flavors in one pan, without the whole turkey dinner ordeal.
Bonus: This pie comes in at about 550 calories and nearly 50 grams of protein per portion. It's a real 'stick to your ribs' experience.
Why you'll love this ground turkey shepherd's pie
You don't need a special occasion or a giant turkey to fill your house with the comforting aroma of turkey dinner. Ground turkey keeps things simple, and good ol' poultry seasoning brings familiar flavor without having to make stuffing and gravy separately.
The filling cooks in a big skillet on the stovetop, then the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes go straight on top. You'll need a saucepan for the potatoes, but there's no juggling a roasting pan and five different side dishes.
- No giant turkey required!
- One-skillet filling!
- Freezer-friendly!
It's also a great option if you're cooking for one or feeding a small family. Have a cozy dinner now, then freeze the extra portions for another night. (Souper Cubes are especially handy for this!)
Note: Traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb (hence the shepherd) and cottage pie is made with ground beef. This is neither, because it's made with ground turkey, but we're calling this a shepherd's pie recipe because it's the most widely known. OK, back to the pie!
Ingredients you'll need to make this recipe
For the turkey filling
- Avocado oil or pan spray: To brown the turkey.
- Lean ground turkey: The hearty main protein in the filling.
- Onion: To build a savory base for the filling.
- Celery: To add depth of flavor to the filling.
- Carrot: To add a little sweetness and moisture.
- Mushrooms: To add savory flavor and texture to the gravy.
- Butter: To help soften the veggies.
- Salt: To season the filling and mashed potatoes.
- Black pepper: To taste.
- Garlic powder: To add savory garlic flavor.
- Poultry seasoning: To bring classic turkey dinner flavor.
- Dried thyme: To add an earthy herbal note.
- All-purpose flour: To thicken the gravy.
- Turkey or chicken broth or stock: To make the gravy and keep the filling saucy.
- Frozen peas: To add pops of color and sweetness. You can swap for frozen corn or green beans if you prefer.
For the cranberry blobs
Make life easy and buy a can of whole-berry cranberry sauce. The leftovers are great in your morning porridge!
For the mashed potato topping
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold or russet are best for mashing.
- Plain yogurt: Balkan-style (not Greek) because we want the moisture.
- Salt: To season the potatoes.
- Melted butter: To help brown the top of the potatoes while baking.
- Grated cheese: I like using Gruyere, but cheddar or Havarti work well too.
How to make turkey shepherd's pie - quick walkthrough
Step 1: Heat the oven. Preheat to 425°F (220°C).
Step 2: Cook the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and chop them into roughly 1-inch chunks. Put the potatoes in a medium-sized pot and add enough cold water to come halfway up the potatoes. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. (Set a timer!) When they're fork tender, turn off the heat, drain well, and set aside with the lid on until you're ready to mash.
Step 3: Prep the veggies. Dice the onion, celery, carrot, and mushrooms into approximately pea-sized cubes. If you're not fussed about them looking perfect, you can do this in a food processor. (Just pulse them, don't pulverize them).
Step 4: Brown the turkey. Meanwhile, heat up your skillet over medium-high heat. Give it a light spray with avocado oil or cooking spray, add the ground turkey and spread it out slightly to maximize its contact with the pan. Leave it alone at first to brown a bit, then you can start flipping it and breaking it up into small pieces. If you don't get much browning, don't worry! It'll still be delish. Continue to cook until it is no longer pink.
💡 Now would be a good time to check the potatoes!
Step 5: Soften the vegetables. Add the salt, butter, onion, mushrooms, celery, and carrot to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Covering the pan periodically will help the process along. If the pan gets d
⏲️ While you wait: You can grate the cheese and melt the butter for later.
Step 6: Build the gravy directly in the turkey mixture. Add the pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and thyme to the turkey mixture. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute or until you no longer see any floury bits. Add the stock and stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the gravy thickens, then stir in the peas. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Once the peas are in, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes while you mash the potatoes.
Step 7: Mash the potatoes. Mash the drained potatoes with a potato masher or ricer, along with the yogurt and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You can also add butter and/or sour cream if you'd like.
Step 8: Transfer the turkey mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, casserole dish, or another combination of dishes that fits the mixture. (Sometimes I use a 9 x 9-inch square dish + two 2-cup Souper Cube trays to freeze and bake another time.)
Step 9: Add the cranberry blobs. Drop 6 spoonfuls of cranberry sauce over the meat mixture, evenly spaced so each portion gets a bit of cranberry sauce.
Step 10: Add the potato topping. Gently spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling and coax them to roughly cover the whole pie. It's OK if there are bits of filling peeking through, but try to make sure every portion has a hefty amount of mash.
Step 11: Add the final touches and bake. Distribute the grated cheese over the mashed potatoes, then drizzle the melted butter over the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and golden brown.
Tip: It's a very good idea to put a baking sheet under the pie to catch any gravy that bubbles over.
Step 12: Rest and serve. Let the pie rest for at least 10 minutes so it's easier to scoop. Rest for longer (30+ minutes) if you want the pieces to hold their shape.
Storage, freezing, and reheating this pie
In the refrigerator
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking, dividing them into shallow airtight containers so they cool quickly. Keep in the fridge for up to four days. Leave the lids off while they cool, then cover.
To reheat a portion, microwave loosely covered until hot throughout, or heat in an oven-safe dish at 425°F (220°C), covered with foil. Remove the foil near the end if you want to dry out the top a little. Reheated portions should reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.
In the freezer
This is the kind of dinner that's worth making even when you don't need six servings. Freeze individual portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months for best quality.
If you have Souper Cubes or oven-safe glass dishes, you can freeze the assembled, unbaked pie (with or without the cheese and melted butter on top), or bake it first and freeze it fully baked. Either way, make sure the pie is chilled well before freezing to avoid excess ice crystals. Once solid, pop the portions out and transfer them to a labeled freezer bag. You've now got a small stash of ready-to-reheat turkey dinners.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating when possible.
- For a frozen unbaked portion: Thaw in the fridge overnight then bake as you would a fresh one, or defrost it on medium power in the microwave for 10 minutes, then finish it in the oven or air fryer.
- For a frozen and baked portion: Remove it from the freezer tray and transfer it to a microwave-safe or oven-safe dish.
Reheat the portions until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). If thawed, it should take 15-20 minutes in an air fryer or 20-30 minutes in the oven at 425°F (220°C).
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Assemble the pie and bake it within 2 days. A chilled pie will take longer than the freshly assembled version, so check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C). If the top browns before the middle is hot, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Yep. You'll need enough to make an even layer over the filling, roughly 4 cups. If they're thick from being in the fridge, warm them slightly so they're easier to spread over the turkey mixture.
You can, but pure sweet potato is a little on the sweet side. If you want to incorporate some sweet potato into the mix, I'd use half regular potato, half sweet potato in the mash.
Somewhat, but it has a decidedly more turkey-dinner-inspired flavor profile. The poultry seasoning really gives it that flair.
Yes, and that's one of the best things about it. Freeze each portion before or after baking in an airtight container or in Souper Cubes, then bake or reheat just what you need. You get the turkey dinner experience without committing to a whole week of leftovers.
Nope. The turkey, vegetables, gravy, and mashed potatoes are already here. Cranberry sauce baked right in gives it that Thanksgiving feel. Add a salad or some extra vegetables if you want, but it's a full dinner without it.
Yes. Either works well, so use whichever you have. If your stock is quite salty, start with less added salt and adjust once the gravy has simmered.
Try these cozy fall and winter recipes next:
- Easiest Lasagna with Cottage Cheese and Spinach (No Chopping!)
- Ground Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry (20 Minute Dinner)
- Simple Instant Pot Chicken Stew Recipe
- Creamy Sausage and Potato Soup
- Creamy Carrot Tahini Soup
Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie (Turkey Dinner Shortcut!)
Equipment
- large skillet to cook the filling
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish to bake the pie
- medium pot to cook the potatoes
- Cutting board and knife
- Potato masher
- baking sheet to catch any gravy that bubbles over in the oven
Ingredients
For the turkey filling
- avocado oil or cooking spray to brown the turkey
- 908 grams ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 large carrot
- 227 grams mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 500 milliliters chicken or turkey stock low sodium if store-bought
- 150 grams frozen peas
For the cranberry blobs
- 175 milliliters whole-berry cranberry sauce ½ can
For the mashed potato topping
- 1 kilogram Yukon Gold or russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 150 grams plain Balkan-style yogurt not Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 75 grams Gruyere cheese grated. Havarti or cheddar works too
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Start the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into roughly one inch chunks. Put the potatoes in a medium pot and add cold water halfway up the potatoes. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. Set a timer!
Prep the veggies
- While the potatoes cook, chop the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms into pea-sized cubes. Set them aside.
Cook the turkey and veggies
- Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat, spray with avocado oil or cooking spray, add the ground turkey and flatten it out to brown. Once browned on one side, break the turkey into smaller pieces. (Don't worry if you don't get much browning. It'll still taste great!)
- Add the butter to the browned turkey, and add the salt, onion, celery, carrots, and mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Covering the pan periodically will help the process along. If the pan gets too dry, add a splash of water.
Check the potatoes!
- Check the potatoes if you haven't already. If they're fork tender, drain them and set them aside with the lid on until you're ready for them.
Build the gravy right into the turkey mixture
- To the turkey mixture, add the garlic powder, poultry seasoning, black pepper, and thyme. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until you no longer see any floury bits. Add the stock, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir thoroughly so the flour and stock become one. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Add in the frozen peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat, cover, and set the mixture aside while you mash the potatoes.
Mash the potatoes
- Mash the drained potatoes with the yogurt and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Assemble the pie
- Transfer the turkey filling to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. (See recipe notes for other baking vessels.)
- Spoon 6 evenly-spaced dollops of cranberry sauce over the filling, one for each portion.
- Gently spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the turkey mixture and cranberry sauce. The pie should be more or less covered with potatoes, but this can be rustic. It's OK if there are little bits of the turkey and cranberries peeking out here and there.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the potatoes, and use a teaspoon to drizzle the melted butter over top.
Bake
- Bake the pie for about 30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and lightly browned on top. The center of the filling should reach 165°F (74°C). Place a baking sheet underneath in case it bubbles over.
- Let the pie rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Longer (30+ minutes) if you want the pieces to hold their shape.
Video
Notes
- Cranberry sauce: Canned whole-berry cranberry sauce works well. Add as much or as little as you like, in dollops between the turkey filling and mashed potatoes.
- Mashed potatoes: Use your favorite mashed potato recipe instead if you prefer. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, you'll need roughly 4 cups. Warm them slightly if they're too firm to spread.
- Optional: Sometimes I sprinkle a bit of paprika over the potatoes before baking, and/or finish with fresh parsley after baking.
- Baking dishes: You can divide the pie between smaller dishes instead of using one large dish. A 9 × 9-inch dish plus two 2-cup portions works well if you want to freeze some for later. Only bake in containers rated for oven use, and adjust the baking time for smaller portions. If your skillet or dish is very full, set it on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling gravy.
- Make ahead: Assemble the pie in advance and bake within two days. A chilled pie will need extra baking time. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns before the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in an oven-safe dish at 350°F (175°C), covered, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Freezing: Freeze well-chilled portions before or after baking for up to 3 months for best quality. If using Souper Cubes, freeze until solid, then transfer the portions to a labeled freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge when possible. Transfer to a suitable baking or reheating dish and heat until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
