Turkey Shepherd's Pie
By Afton CyrusPublished on December 8, 2019
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil 1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into ½-inch pieces½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water Salt and pepper 1 large organic egg, lightly beaten3 tablespoons minced fresh chives 1 pound organic 93 percent lean ground turkey ¼ teaspoon baking soda 8 ounces cremini mushrooms 1 onion, chopped1 tablespoons tomato paste 2 garlic cloves, minced¾ cup homemade or low-sodium chicken broth 2 carrots, peeled and chopped2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Before You Begin
Be sure to use 93 percent lean ground turkey, not 99 percent fat-free ground turkey breast, or the filling will be tough. You will need a 10-inch broiler-safe skillet.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in ½ cup water and ¾ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until cauliflower falls apart easily when poked with fork, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer cauliflower and any remaining liquid to food processor and let cool for 5 minutes. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and stir in beaten egg and chives; set aside.
- Meanwhile, toss turkey, 1 tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and fond begins to form on bottom of skillet, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, carrots, thyme, and Worcestershire and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, pinch off turkey in ½-inch pieces and add to skillet, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until turkey is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat halfway through cooking.
- Whisk cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl, then stir mixture into filling and continue to simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Discard thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer cauliflower mixture to large zipper-lock bag. Using scissors, snip 1-inch off filled corner. Squeezing bag, pipe mixture in even layer over filling, making sure to cover entire surface. Smooth mixture with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and broil until topping is golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
1 large organic egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 pound organic 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
1 large organic egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 pound organic 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
1 large organic egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 pound organic 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Ground turkey promised a healthy start, but keeping it tender required refraining from browning it. Instead, we browned mushrooms and onions, ensuring a rich gravy. For a nutrient-dense topping, swapping mashed russet potatoes for sweet seemed smart, but over-whelmed tasters. Mild, vitamin-packed cauliflower proved a better choice. We cooked a head of chopped florets until soft and pureed them until velvety smooth. Then we gently bound the mixture with an egg and stirred in chives for flavor.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use 93 percent lean ground turkey, not 99 percent fat-free ground turkey breast, or the filling will be tough. You will need a 10-inch broiler-safe skillet.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in ½ cup water and ¾ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until cauliflower falls apart easily when poked with fork, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer cauliflower and any remaining liquid to food processor and let cool for 5 minutes. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and stir in beaten egg and chives; set aside.
- Meanwhile, toss turkey, 1 tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and fond begins to form on bottom of skillet, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, carrots, thyme, and Worcestershire and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, pinch off turkey in ½-inch pieces and add to skillet, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until turkey is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat halfway through cooking.
- Whisk cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl, then stir mixture into filling and continue to simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Discard thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer cauliflower mixture to large zipper-lock bag. Using scissors, snip 1-inch off filled corner. Squeezing bag, pipe mixture in even layer over filling, making sure to cover entire surface. Smooth mixture with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and broil until topping is golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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