Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie

The other day, we got the idea to combine two of the quintessential staple foods Mom used to make. Well, one is more of a feast than a particular food. Anyway, we built this dish from the concept of Shepherd’s Pie (gravy based meaty/veggie goodness under a layer of crisped up carbohydrate) and Thanksgiving (for the ingredients and flavour profile).

To combine the two meals, we swapped out a more traditional red meat (beef/mutton/venison) for the protein of Thanksgiving, Turkey! We then picked some more Thanksgivingy (that’s a real word for the purposes of this post) veggies to add in with the turkey before pouring some gravy over the meat and veggies and letting it cook and thicken. Lastly, we swapped out the traditional mashed potato topping for stuffing, which we spread across the top. The only really funky thing we did was (in consult with my Ant…similar to an aunt, but cooler) to grate some fresh parmesan cheese between the two layers to give a little bit of additional saltiness to each bite…and we’re happy to report that the cheese was an excellent guest at the culinary party.

Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • Ground Turkey
  • Stuffing. Use Boxed, or Make Your Own.
  • Mushrooms
  • Peas
  • Onion
  • Spinach
  • Potato
  • Gravy
  • Salty shredded cheese. We grated a block of fresh Parmesan.

Method:

  • Dice your potato and onion. Then, melt some butter in a large pan, and add. Sautee for a little while until your potatoes soften.
  • As your onion and potatoes cook, dice your mushrooms, and make your stuffing.
  • When your potatoes have softened, add your ground turkey, mushrooms, and peas to the pan, and cook fully.
  • Add a few handfuls of spinach to the party, and allow to wilt.
  • Pour in a bit of gravy, and bring to a simmer. Allow some of the gravy to cook off while the rest coats your mixture.
  • While your filling mixture finishes, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and grab a casserole dish.
  • Scoop your turkey and veggies into your casserole dish, and spread your grated cheese atop.
  • Spread your stuffing as a top layer over your filling.
  • Transfer to the oven, and allow the stuffing to develop a bit of crispiness.
  • Plate, devour, and enjoy!

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