Lazy Cheesy Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Mains, Gluten-Free
Some days mashed potatoes seem like too much work. You can save a step by roasting and slicing the potatoes for a lazy turkey shepherds pie and topping it with cheese.
Lazy Cheesy Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of potatoes, whole small
  • 2 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise
  • 1 parsnip, peeled, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 pound yellow onions, diced
  • 1 stalk celery with the leaves, stalk diced, leaves minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 pounds of cooked turkey meat, diced or sliced into bite sized pieces
  • 1 quart of turkey stock or chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or dried sage
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons of fat or butter ( I used rendered turkey fat and butter)
  • 2 tablespoons flour or gluten free flour
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, yogurt or milk
  • 1/4 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F °.
  2. On a sheet pan, roast the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips until tender (about 30-45 minutes). Cool.
  3. At the same time, in a cast iron pan or small roasting pan, roast the onions for 15 minutes, then add the celery and the garlic until onions are browned.
  4. Put the onion mixture in a bowl to cool.
  5. In a small saucepan, bring turkey stock to a boil and reduce it by a third.
  6. Roughly dice the cooked carrots and parsnip and add it to the bowl with the onion mixture.
  7. Slice potatoes into rounds and have ready.
  8. Heat the fat/butter in a 10” cast iron pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux, then add the stock along with the vegetables and sage. Season mixture with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. Turn the heat down to low, add the peas and the turkey and cook until everything is heated through. Adjust seasoning again if necessary. Turn off the heat. Top turkey mixture with the potatoes in an overlapping pattern. Using a pastry brush, brush the potatoes with cream, season with salt and pepper and top with the cheddar cheese. Turn on the broiler and cook until the cheese is golden brown about 10 minutes. Serve.
Total time:
Yield: Serves 6

Notes

You can use a heavy stainless or enamel skillet instead of the cast iron skillet or a baking dish.