Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is the ultimate comfort food. I crave comfort foods in times of trouble and uncertainty. For me, these foods are cozy meals like this shepherd’s pie, macaroni and cheese, and pot roast. I first featured this recipe on my blog in October of 2012 when we got hit with Hurricane Sandy and were without power for over a week. Now, we are in the midst of a worldwide health crisis, and this shepherd’s pie again comes to mind.
This blog has served as a place for me to record life events as well as share recipes and inspiration for all of you. I first wrote this post in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy. That trying time pails in comparison to what is going on right now in 2020.
Update 2020
Just over two weeks ago, life was “normal” in the US. Since then, life has turned completely upside-down globally due to a disease we know little about.
All schools have been closed since last Thursday, almost everyone is working remotely from home, senior centers and assisted living places are closed to visitors, restaurants are no longer allowed to provide dining in (curbside pickup and delivery only), playgrounds are closed, the YMCA, library, gyms and movie theater are closed. We are being asked to stay home, and practice “social distancing” to “flatten the curve.” There is no vaccination or cure at this point, so the only thing we can do is slow this disease down. Otherwise, our medical facilities will be completely overwhelmed, and unable to handle the volume of people needing care.
These measures might sound extreme, but they are necessary. Many people who don’t think they will get sick have been ignoring the call for “social distancing.” They are not considering that fact that they might get someone else sick, whether it’s an elderly person, a person with a weak autoimmune system, or a child with cancer.
Despite the current situation, I believe tough times like this can bring out the best in people. My prayer is that we as a country, and as a world, will learn to love one another better, be more considerate of others, and help others through this extremely difficult time. Our seniors are being told to stay home and are in need of food and medicine. Schools are closed, and there are children who rely on school meals every day. Local businesses are shut down, and employees may become unemployed. What can each of us do to help? Each of us can do something, no matter how great or small, which can impact the life of another in a positive way.
Hurricane Sandy 2012
This Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is one of the first meals I made after our power was restored last week following Hurricane Sandy. After 8 days without power, I couldn’t wait to cook once again in a warm, lit kitchen. Fortunately, we have a gas stove, so even during the power outage, I could cook using a lighter to ignite the stove. Each day, I would start cooking dinner in the afternoon when it was still light out so that I could have dinner ready before it got dark.
As the days passed, and it became apparent that the power outage was going to go on for longer than expected, I began taking things out of the freezer as they defrosted and using up as much of the food as I could. I began cooking more and more food as the days went on and more items started to defrost. Since it was dark in our home and we had so much food, we began hauling our prepared meals over to our dear friend’s home (they were one of the few families in town that had power) and shared dinner with them, and on occasion with another family that would stop by.
These shared meals were really special – it was so nice to catch up with each others’ lives and to have a little laugh despite the circumstances. In the end, I left a lot of leftovers at my friends’ house who happily accepted them. I am so glad that I could offer something in return for their generosity in opening their home to my large family.
So, back to this Shepherd’s Pie – during one of our dinners at my friends’ home, the topic of Shepherd’s Pie came up and my kids’ ears perked up. I knew that I would have to make this for them once we got power back. When I served this dish to my kids the other night, they were so happy – it was like snuggling on a couch with a warm blanket next to a fireplace.
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek white parts only, washed well and thinly sliced
- 5 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 5 roasted garlic cloves mashed (optional)
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots peeled, minced
- 2 celery stalks trimmed, minced
- 1 leek trimmed and sliced, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese
- 2 tablespoons Romano cheese
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mashed Potatoes
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Heat olive oil in a saute pan and add leek; saute until lightly browned and caramelized.
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Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil; cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and place potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add yogurt and milk; beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in mashed roasted garlic cloves (if using) and sauteed leeks.
Shepherd's Pie
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Heat oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add carrots, celery, leek and garlic, thyme and rosemary and saute until vegetables soften, about 5-6 minutes. Add turkey and use the back of a large spoon to break into pieces; cook until browned. Add red wine and cook until wine reduces and just evaporates. Add tomato sauce and frozen peas, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top of meat filling. Sprinkle shredded cheese and Romano cheese on top.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted.
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This looks soul-comforting and delicious!
Angie – this was definitely comfort food, so nice to be in a warm home again.
Thank goodness your power has been restored. What a terrible time you have been through, but thank goodness for kind friends and neighbors. At times like this, they can truly restore our faith in other people.
We are so fortunate to have power – and yes, it is when things like this happen that bring the best out in people. We are so blessed to have such good friends.
Love shepherds pie! The cheese on top looks delicious.
I love this! It looks amazing! And I am so glad to know that things are getting better for all of you that were affected by the hurricane. Stay safe. xo
oh gosh, I’m so sorry you had to go without power for so long. It was very surreal watching it all from the west coast, where we were so sunny and mild! Your pie looks amazing. I’m thinking it would be good for after-Thanksgiving shredded turkey leftovers!
Thanks Rachel, Kate and Lori – we are so thankful that we got our power back so quickly relative to so many. It is crazy how much damage was done. Ever since, we’ve been craving comfort foods like this casserole – and Lori, you’re right, I bet this would be great using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
happy to hear things are getting back to normal for you, Jeanette. good to have neighbors you can count on. this looks very comforting!
I’m married to a Brit and thus eat Shepherd’s Pie regularly. It does that comfy-cozy taste-of-home thing and makes me feel like a kid cocooned in love, even though I didn’t grow up eating it at all. Just a perfect comfort food. So happy that you guys are recovering well from the storm.
What a beautiful shepherd’s pie! That’s always one of my favorite fall/winter meals too. 🙂 I’m so glad you have electricity again and you can get back to your normal routine.
One of my favorite dishes made with TURKEY! – Can’t wait for day after Thanksgiving- this is what I’m making!
No Greek food that night-
I was craving comfort food today and even made mashed potatoes….now if I only had a nice turkey pie to place them on. Oh wait, now I do! Hooray for power!
So glad your power is restored! This looks fantastic – comfort food that is still healthy!
shepherd’s pie is one of those things that i LOVE and never remember to plan for on our weekly menu! this has to change 🙂
So sorry to hear about all that you’ve been through, but glad to hear your power is back. Nothing like comfort food (this looks amazing, by the way) to make it all seem better. Hang in there!
I love that you added leek and Greek yogurt to your potato mash. Great ideas and oh, the comfort of electricity… what a warming, delightful dish Jeanette.
This is so perfect for the aftermath of Sandy! and I also love your particular way of preparation…lovely pics and food! =)
looks like comfort food to me!! Love this one jeanette!
Thanks Alison – I’m thinking this will be good for company over the holidays too!
Thanks for sharing such a delicious looking dish! I linked to this recipe in my Freezing Cold Weather Food Round Up – http://www.momsmenuplanning.com/2013/01/freezing-cold-weather-food.html
Extreme measures are absolutely necessary…we will win the battle! The shepherds pie looks comforting and so tasty, Jeanette.
Stay positive and safe!
love this recipe i’ve tried to make this but i doubt i have use different ingredients i’ll try this with the same ingredients because i recipe i made previously wasn’t that good i hope this one turns out to be perfect 🙂 thanks for sharing