Cheddar - Topped Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Magazine, Everyday Food. I haven’t tried to make Shepherd’s Pie yet, so this looked like a good one to try. I changed the quantities in Martha’s recipe so I could do this in an 8-by-8 pan. So this recipe is about 4 big servings instead of the original recipe’s 8. also, I used ground turkey and skim milk instead of beef & whole milk.

This one was hard to photograph well though. My potato’s kept sort of oozing down the sides over the filling. It tastes much better than it looks. I hope you like it…

Cheddar - Topped Shepherd’s Pie

1 pound red potatoes (about 4), we left the skins on

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower

3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup tomato paste

1 pounds ground turkey

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar

 

Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set filling aside.

Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1/2 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.

Pour beef filling into a 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.