Turkey and lentil shepherd’s pie

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Add lentils, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste to the ground turkey.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Tips

  • 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.