Turkey shepherd's pie with sweet potato topping

A good-for-you version of an old-fashioned favourite, this shepherd's pie uses lean ground turkey instead of beef and sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes in the topping. Delicious and filling, this dish will become a top pick for your family.

[Photo Credit: iStock.com/Ryzhkov]

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Baking time: 35 to 40 minutes
Serves: 6

There are two sets of ingredients you'll need: one for the filling and the other for the topping.

Filling

• 600 g (1 1/4 lb.) lean ground turkey breast
• 10 ml (2 tsp.) olive oil or canola oil
• 150 g (1 c.) chopped onion (1 medium)
• 150 g (1 c.) chopped carrots (2 to 4 medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ml (1 tsp.) dried thyme
• 45 g (1/3 c.) all-purpose flour
• 550 ml (2 1/4 c.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 5 ml (1 tsp.) Worcestershire sauce
• 150 ml (1 c.) frozen green peas, rinsed under cold water to thaw
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Topping

• 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 125 ml (1/2 c.) low-fat (1%) milk
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp.) freshly grated lemon zest
• 3 ml (3/4 tsp.) salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

First, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Next, coat a 30 cm × 20 cm (11  in. × 7 in.) or 25 cm × 35 cm (9 in. × 13 in.) baking dish with cooking spray.

To make the filling

1. Cook the turkey in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, four to five minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add 10 ml (two teaspoons) of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and carrots; cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened, two to four minutes. Add the garlic and thyme; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat well. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring.
3. Return the turkey to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the peas and Worcestershire sauce. Season with pepper.
5. Transfer the turkey mixture to the baking dish.

To prepare the topping

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough lightly salted water to cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Drain and return the sweet potatoes to the pot. Mash with a potato masher or portable electric mixer. Gradually stir or beat in the milk.
3. Season mashed potatoes with lemon zest, salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the sweet potato mixture over the turkey filling. Use the back of a spoon to cover the filling and make decorative swirls.
5. Bake the pie, uncovered, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is heated through, 35 to 40 minutes.

Each serving contains about: 317 calories; 31 g protein; 43 g carbohydrates; 7 g fibre; 3 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat, 39 mg cholesterol and 656 mg sodium.

• One serving is 175 ml (3/4 c.) of filling and 125 ml (1/2 c.) of topping.

Although the taste is reminiscent of a Thanksgiving dinner, you can enjoy this easy-to-make shepherd's pie throughout the year.