This Shepherd’s pie with ground turkey is a guaranteed hit with comforting flavors, nutritious ingredients and easy prep. It’s great for a busy weeknight and perfect for making for a family dinner too.

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Why you’ll love this

Shepherd’s pie (sometimes called cottage pie) is one of those classic dinner recipes that just hits the spot every single time! This spin on your favorite comfort meal is hearty, wholesome and packed with flavor.

Unlike a lot of classic Shepherd’s pie recipes, this cozy meal is a complete meal on its own. Each wholesome ingredient plays a role in creating a comforting, well-rounded meal.

With lean ground turkey, lots of veggies and creamy mashed potatoes, it’s perfectly balanced with protein, carbs, and fiber to keep you full and fueled. One serving of this easy turkey Shepherd’s pie has 24 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber!

It’s also easy to make, great for meal prep, and even freeze-able!

It’s a great recipe for an easy weeknight dinner but it’s also a great crowd pleaser for your next family gathering.

You can make it in a casserole dish or make it even easier by using an oven-safe skillet.

Your entire family is going to love this healthy comfort food. Let’s get into what you need to make it!

Ingredients

Mashed potato topping

• Potatoes: Potatoes are the creamy base for the mashed potato topping. I like Yukon golds, russet potatoes, or red potatoes best but truly any will work.
• Butter: Just a little bit of butter adds rich buttery flavor to mashed potatoes. You can’t have mashed potatoes without real butter, in my opinion!
• Milk: Milk helps to transform the potatoes into a creamy smooth mash.
• Garlic powder + salt

Shepherd’s pie filling

• Ground turkey: Lean ground turkey is the protein source for our Shepherd’s pie and takes the place of traditional ground beef. You can use lean ground beef if you want to, or ground chicken too.
• Yellow onion + garlic cloves: These add the perfect amount of flavor for the veggie base.
• Frozen mixed vegetables: You can use any mixed bag that you like, but I usually grab a bag of mixed frozen peas, carrots, corn and green beans. It’s convenient to use and adds nutrition. Frozen mixed vegetables are one of my favorite shortcut ingredients.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a nice meaty addition to this Shepherd’s pie that tie in well with the ground turkey.
• Olive oil: You’ll need some oil to sauté your veggies. I like to use olive oil but you can use any other oil that you like, like avocado oil.
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth brings everything together. You can also use chicken stock, beef broth, or vegetable broth.
• All-purpose flour: Just a little bit of flour thickens the filling for a more hearty consistency.
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds flavor depth and just a tiny bit of sweetness.
• Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce adds savory, salty flavor to the filling.
• Salt + black pepper

How to make Shepherd’s pie with ground turkey

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. First, prepare the mashed potatoes. Add peeled/cut potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender and easily pierced with fork, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add butter, milk, garlic powder and salt. Mash until smooth using a potato masher or hand mixer. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

4. While the potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook while breaking apart until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste starts to darken.

7. Sprinkle flour over the turkey mixture and mix to combine, cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Finally, add frozen vegetables, seasonings and chicken broth to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
9. Transfer turkey and veggie mixture to a lightly oiled or sprayed 8×8 or 9×9 dish. Spoon the mashed potato mixture over the top of the turkey mixture and smooth. Spray the top with olive or avocado oil spray.

10. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes begin to brown and the filling is bubbling.

How to store

For leftovers: Store leftover ground turkey Shepherd’s pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Microwave leftovers or reheat in the oven in an oven safe dish.

To freeze: Assemble Shepherd’s pie in a casserole dish but don’t bake. Cover it tightly with foil or freezer safe wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until heated through.

To make ahead of time: Prep the dish and assemble in a casserole dish but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake (generally up to 2 days).

Variations

• Instead of regular mashed potatoes, swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes for a sweet potato topping.
• For a vegetarian version, use plant-based meat crumbles or lentils instead of ground turkey.
• For a fiber boost, add a cup of lentils to the ground turkey mixture.
• Make cheesy mashed potatoes by mixing shredded cheddar or parmesan into the mashed potato topping.
• Top with red pepper flakes or hot sauce if you like it spicy.
• Instead of transferring to a casserole dish, use a large oven-safe skillet and put the mashed potatoes directly over your ground turkey and veggie mixture.
• Use this recipe for your Thanksgiving leftovers! Use leftover turkey instead of ground turkey and leftover mashed potatoes!
• Use any fresh vegetables that you have. You can even add extra veggies like chopped broccoli or cauliflower.

More easy dinner ideas

Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits

Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole