Seasonal Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Shoot. Okay, so I caved and I made this Shepherd's pie using ground turkey because we had company over and I just knew that my girlfriend's husband would have soiled his freshly pressed True Religion jeans if there was an ounce of tofu in sight.

So, I cowered through Whole Foods (which I hate now, to be posted soon) and purchased a $15 1lb. slab of turkey. Thankfully, the ground turkey was from Diestel Turkey Ranch, a family that I grew up with in my hillbilly home town.

The meal went off fabulously and my little one who is mostly vegan as well, truly enjoyed the meal. So much so that for the last week she has been pretending that everything that she eats is turkey.

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The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 5-7 Yukon potatoes, quartered
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 lb. green beans, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6-8 ounces cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 onion, diced
• a little bit of oil
• 1 tbsp of each: oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme

Directions:

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, saute the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put on a pot of hot water and cook the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Add the turkey, carrots, green beans, celery, and herbs to the onions. Ad 1-2 cups of water after the turkey has browned. Cook until everything is tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork or spoon. Add the soy milk and seasoning. Don't whip with a mixer. This is rustic folks!
4. Grease the bottom of a pyrex pan (glass preferably). Add the vegetable and turkey mixture. Top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Serve hot.