This must-try family-friendly version of Shepherd’s pie is as comforting as the one prepared with ground beef. Serve with a green salad (see tip for vinaigrette).
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
10 min
Servings
6
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
10 min
Servings
6
Ingredients
5 large potatoes (about 1kg/2 ¼ lb), washed and cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
450 g (1 pound) lean ground turkey
250 mL (1 cup) canned lentils, rinsed and drained
30 mL (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
30 mL (2 tbsp) canned tomato paste
500 mL (2 cups) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
30 mL (2 tbsp) soft non-hydrogenated margarine
15 mL (1 tbsp) 1% milk
Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes and then drain.
Lightly coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray or oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned. Add ground turkey and cook until brown.
Add lentils, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste to the ground turkey.
Pour ground turkey mixture into an 8 x 8 casserole dish and spread evenly across the bottom. Layer peas and carrots on top of turkey mixture.
Add margarine and milk to the potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or a hand blender. Layer mashed potatoes overtop peas and carrots and spread evenly.
Place in the oven on the lower rack and broil for 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
Little chefs can prepare a vinaigrette by mixing 80 mL (⅓ cup) olive oil with 30 mL (2 tbsp) balsamic, red wine or white wine vinegar and 15 mL (1 tbsp) lemon juice (about ½ lemon).
Freeze leftover tomato paste to use later. Spoon tomato paste into ice cube trays and place in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely frozen. Transfer cubes into an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Lentils can be dried or canned. If you use dried lentils, follow cooking instructions on the package and add them cooked at step 3.
Use any other fresh or frozen vegetable you like such as leeks or mushrooms. Make sure to chop vegetables into small pieces and cook until tender.