Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Food Styling + Photography: Morgan Baker

Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with ground lamb, but for a new version of the comfort food classic, try ground turkey. This protein is just as delicious as lamb but leaner and lighter. Use 93% lean, 7% fat ground turkey, which has a slightly higher ratio of dark meat for a fatty and more flavorful filling. The rest of the filling should look familiar — the browned meat is combined with sautéed onion, carrots, celery and garlic, as well as a trio of fresh hearty herbs (thyme, rosemary and sage).

To prevent the filling from tasting bland and dry, add dry red wine, chicken broth and a pat of butter, which makes it ever so slightly saucy. A tablespoon of flour helps to thicken the mixture, too. Frozen peas are folded into the mixture just before it’s topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked.

This recipe will comfortably serve four people, but if you’re serving a smaller crowd, no one will be upset about having leftovers.

Swap Option: Feel free to use dry white wine in place of the red wine. The flavor of the filling will be a little lighter and will complement the lean poultry nicely.