Delightful Shepherd's Pie

I like Sheperd's Pie a lot but the one issue I have when I order it from restaurants is that there is so much oil oozing out of the meat.  Of course, part of it has to do with the fact that it's usually ground beef (although traditionally, I believe it's supposed to be lamb).  Topped with the mashed potatoes, it makes for a really heavy dish.  Most restaurants are pretty smart about serving Shepherd's Pie in reasonably small to normal portions.
So today, I give you a recipe for a slightly lighter Shepherd's Pie that can be modified to be even lighter if you wish!

Hit the jump for the recipe!

You will need:

• 1 lb of potato
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 a stick of butter (or less)
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• half an onion finely minced
• parsley
• Worcestershire sauce
• Chicken bouillon
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• Salt and pepper
• Frozen corn or peas

To make the mashed potatoes:

1. Place your clean potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water.
2. Bring to a boil.  The potatoes are ready when you can stab them with a fork with little resistance.
3. Turn off the heat.  Drain the water then add a the butter and cream to the potatoes.  You don't have to use both.  I chose to because it made a nice and creamy.
4. Use a masher (or a fork) to smash your potatoes to a smooth consistency.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.  I also added a little garlic powder for some more flavor.

To make the meat filling:

1. Drizzle olive oil in a skillet.  When heated, toss in the onions and cook them until they are soft and translucent.  Use medium heat to avoid browning.
2. Add the turkey meat, seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.
3. Be generous with the Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle in some parsley to season the browned meat.
4. If you have bouillon powder, add a teaspoon of it to your turkey.  I had a cube, so I made the broth and added than.  It just adds more flavor to the meat.
5. Drain the excess liquid and then mix in the flour to your filling.
6. Toss in half a bag of frozen corn or peas.  They will thaw and cook in the oven

Assembling the Shepherd's Pie:

1. Spoon the meat filling into a casserole dish, making at even layer.
2. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top.
3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

It's not traditional Shepherd's Pie but it was delicious.  Because it was less greasy than ground beef, I didn't feel the heavy "Oh-my-god-I'm-a-fatty" effect afterwards.  I would have preferred to have peas but I didn't have any on hand.  I'm not big on corn but it did make a nice sweet contrast with everything else.  Also, Shepherd's Pie is a great way to use up left over mashed potatoes!  I will definitely be making this again!