Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie (Turkey Dinner Shortcut!)
Turkey dinner without a big ordeal! Ground turkey, vegetables, and savory gravy are topped with creamy mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, then baked until bubbling for an easy, cozy Thanksgiving-inspired dinner. It's make-ahead and freezer-friendly, perfect if you're cooking for one or a small family.
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).
Nutrition
Calories: 541.3kcalCarbohydrates: 57.2gProtein: 48.8gFat: 14.6gSaturated Fat: 7.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.7gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 115.4mgSodium: 1475mgPotassium: 1548.3mgFiber: 6.3gSugar: 15.8gVitamin A: 4498.7IUVitamin C: 39.2mgCalcium: 215.8mgIron: 4mg
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