Healthier Shepherd's Pie with Turkey & Sweet Potatoes

This time of year we all want hearty, filling foods (who wants a grilled chicken salad when it feels like 13 degrees outside?). And yet, all of us are likely to have overindulged just a bit (or more) during all those holiday celebrations.  It's possible to be satisfied while still eating healthy, and this recipe proves it!  Ground turkey replaces beef and fiber- and vitamin-rich sweet potatoes replace regular spuds in my healthier version of the traditional shepherd's pie recipe.

This recipe makes two big casseroles, but you can easily cut it in half to suit your needs.  It makes a nice lunch to tote along to work, so we like to make it in quantity so as to make it last all week for the two of us.  It's also freezable--you can assemble everything in a glass baking dish before baking, wrap it tightly, then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed.  Each casserole serves about 6, depending on how big your appetite is! 

Shepherd's Pie with Ground Turkey and Sweet Potatoes
Makes 2 casseroles, each casserole serves 6–8 people
Click here for printable recipe
Ingredients
6 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into large chunks
6 tablespoons butter (remember this recipe serves 12–18, so it's not that much per serving)
about 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk (just to get the consistency of the potatoes right)
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds ground turkey meat (turkey breast may come out too dry--I use regular ground turkey, which includes dark meat and is tastier and more moist. It's also more affordable.)
1 (1-pound) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
2 envelopes dry "classic brown" gravy mix, prepared according to package directions
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them along with about 2 tablespoons of salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

2) Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter and buttermilk (I just used that because we had some in the fridge.  Any sort of milk or cream will do.)  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set the mashed sweet potatoes aside.

3) Heat the oil in a large saute pan or shallow pot and add the onion and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and softened.  Transfer the onion/garlic mixture to a bowl and set aside.

4) Add the ground turkey to the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns.  You may have to drain the fat during this process so it browns well (and you wouldn't want to eat all that grease, would you?).

5) After the turkey is fully browned, return the onion and garlic to the pan and add the vegetables, gravy and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir well, then pour the meat mixture into 2 baking dishes.

6) Top the meat with the potatoes, spreading them evenly and gently. Now your casseroles may look like cakes with orange frosting!

To add a little texture, gently press the tines of a fork all over the potatoes to make some nice little grooves.  

Now sprinkle the Parmesan on top and bake for about half an hour, until the filling gets nice and bubbly.  Speaking of bubbly filling, don't forget to place a baking pan underneath your casseroles, as I forgot to and we ended up with a smoky kitchen for a little while from the drippings hitting the bottom of our oven.  (Note to self: must clean oven next weekend...)

7) If the tops of your shepherd's pies could use a little more browning, broil them for a few minutes to create a nice crisp top.  Serve right away (after cooling a few minutes), or cool completely, cover and refrigerate for several days.  Individual portions reheat very well in the microwave!

Click here for printable recipe