This Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Is A Weight Watchers Classic Recipe enthusiasts

Ground Turkey Shepherd”s Pie is a traditional dinner you may remember eating as a kid and now it’s time to give it a modern spin. For only 4 WW points per serving, you can enjoy this classic comfort meal. I’ve lightened up this dish by using savory turkey and simplified the potato topping so that it’s flavorful but not labor-intensive. You’ll love that this dish can be prepped in the morning for a streamlined dinner or frozen for a convenient and nutritious last-minute option.

This family-friendly meal is packed with tender vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes in every bite. Frozen carrots and peas are used but feel free to get creative and use your favorite blend. With this versatile dish, you can customize it to your liking for a tasty and healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

• One-and-done dish: There’s no need for side dishes with this recipe. The protein, starch, and veggies are all cooked together so you can simply scoop and serve. Each portion of this dish is filling but for big eaters, you can easily serve up extra or add a fresh salad to the side.
• Easy to customize: This dish is great for using what you have on hand. You can swap the vegetables or protein to best fit your nutritional goals and flavor preferences. Dress up the mashed potatoes to make the flavor pop with your favorite spice blends. If you have extra WW points, you can add a small amount of butter or cheese to the mashed potatoes for an ultra-rich topping.
• Wholesome meal:  This is a meal you can feel great about eating and serving to your family. The ingredients are simple and nutritious. Turkey shepherd’s pie is filling but won’t leave you feeling weighed down.

Recipe Overview

• Serving Size: 280g
• Number of Servings: 6
• Time to Cook: 25-30 minutes
• WW Points Per Recipe: 24 WW points total, 4 WW points per serving

Ingredients in Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

• 1 pound 98% fat-free ground turkey: This recipe uses a lean protein, ground turkey, rather than traditional ground beef.
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots: Frozen veggies are convenient for adding flavor without requiring peeling and chopping. If using fresh vegetables, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan in the sauté step.
• ½ medium yellow onion: Onion adds a natural sweetness to this dish. You can use frozen diced onion if preferred.
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce: This simple addition adds incredible depth of flavor. If you are avoiding gluten or cannot have anchovies, feel free to swap for liquid aminos or omit this ingredient.
• ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth: Broth helps create a light sauce that coats the turkey and vegetables. It creates a moist cohesive dish.
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour: Flour thickens the broth to create the sauce. Feel free to use gluten-free flour or swap for 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.  
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper: Ground black pepper balances the bright flavors in the dish.
• 2 teaspoons sea salt: Salt is used in the potatoes and the base of the dish. Potatoes require lots of salt so feel free to adjust to your preferences. If you do not use salt, instead consider dried herbs or roasted garlic to amp up the flavor.
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme: Thyme adds a sweet herbaceous flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. 
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder: Garlic powder is a simple way to add depth to the ground turkey. Feel free to add a sprinkle to the mashed potatoes as well.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil: Because the turkey has such little fat, a drizzle of olive oil prevents the turkey from sticking to the pan. You can omit the oil and use cooking spray if preferred.

For the Potato Topping

• 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt takes the place of sour cream in the mashed potato topping. It adds a brightening tang but for fewer WW points. 
• 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning: This seasoning adds a quick punch of flavor but not enough to make the potatoes taste overly like ranch. Feel free to swap with dry Italian herb seasoning.
• 2 large russet potatoes: Russet potatoes are used as the topping for this dish. Yukon Gold potatoes are an excellent alternative.

Instructions for making Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place one teaspoon of salt and the potatoes into a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook for 8-12 minutes until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork.

2. Drain the potatoes and break them down with a masher. Add the Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning to the pot. Then, continue mashing until smooth. Feel free to add additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Next, add the turkey and use the spatula to break it into small crumbles as it cooks. Then, brown the ground turkey until no pink remains, 7-10 minutes.

4. Add the onion, peas and carrots, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, thyme, garlic powder, and pepper to the pan. Next, stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions become translucent. 

5. Pour in the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the turkey and vegetables. Then, stir to combine until all of the flour disappears. 

6. Place spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes on top of the turkey mixture. Then, gently smooth it into an even layer. Gently drag a fork across the top of the potatoes to create ridges. Place into the oven and bake for 25- 30 minutes.

7. When done, the pie will be bubbling at the sides. If the top has not browned, broil it on high for 4-5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use Thanksgiving leftovers: While this recipe uses ground turkey, you can use leftover diced turkey from Thanksgiving as well. It’s an excellent opportunity to use leftover mashed potatoes and veggies too.
• Use beef or chicken: Both ground beef and ground chicken will work for this recipe. Just be sure to drain excess grease and adjust your points after making any changes.
• Swap for sweet potatoes: If you love sweet potatoes, they will make a unique and flavorful addition to this dish. Their natural sweetness goes well with turkey. You can also use mashed cauliflower or a mix of potatoes and cauliflower for this recipe to lower the points per serving. 
• Get creative with vegetables: Add extra veggies to make your Turkey Shepherd’s Pie even more filling. Green beans, chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, and parsnips make great additions. 
• Have some extra WW points? Add 1-2 tablespoons of whipped butter to the potatoes when mashing them for a more creamy and buttery topping.

Tips and Tricks for Making Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

• Sauté the vegetables: Sauté the vegetables before adding them to your dish to ensure they’re cooked well and will maintain their flavor. This will also reduce the overall cooking time in the oven since the vegetables aren’t raw when added to the baking dish.
• Don’t overcook the potatoes: Overcooking the potatoes can introduce too much water and cause your potatoes to become dense. Additionally, overmixing them can create firm, gummy potatoes rather than light and fluffy ones. A wooden spoon, potato ricer, or masher works best to make mashed potatoes. Avoid using a hand mixer as it will likely overwork the potatoes and alter the taste.
• Rest before serving: Allow the pie 10-15 minutes to cool before serving it for the best results. This allows the base time to thicken up slightly and for the potatoes to set giving you cleaner scoops during serving.
• Give the top some texture: To get the traditional-looking browned top, a bit of texture is needed. Creating small ridges with a fork or spoon can achieve this look.
• Freezer-friendly: To freeze this dish, follow instructions 1-6 but do not bake it. Be sure to use an aluminum foil pan or freezer-friendly dish. Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then follow baking instructions. Depending on your dish and how well it has thawed, you may need to add 10-15 minutes of baking time.

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