Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Directions

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 4 oven-safe individual serving dishes or a 9-inch square baking dish with the butter and set aside.

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season your turkey with salt and pepper. Cook until turkey is cooked through, 10-15 minutes.  Remove the turkey.  To sauté pan, add the onions, carrots, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the butter, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until thick, about 1 minute. Return the meat and stir well to combine. Gradually add the stock and then the peas, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Carefully transfer to the prepared dish and spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the potatoes are crisp around the edges, 22 to 25 minutes.

Let the Shepherd’s Pie sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped cranberry sauce and serve.

Mashed Potatoes:

Place the potatoes in a medium, heavy saucepan with enough salted water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to the boil; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan. Over medium-low heat, cook the potatoes for 1 minute to dry. Add the butter, half and half, salt and pepper and mash until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.