Recipe: Light Shepherd's Pie

When 10 oz. boxes of frozen vegetables are on sale, stock up on them! I especially buy the frozen spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and peas & carrots. They come in handy at a moments notice to bulk up a dish or even make my lighter version of the classic Shepherd's Pie!

Still have potatoes from St. Patrick's Day grocery shopping? Left over mashed potatoes? This dish will be a cinch!

Ingredients

• 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (defrosted)
• 4 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground turkey and sauté onions in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until golden. Add defrosted peas and carrots and continue to sauté for a minute. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. Set a side to cool.

Whip the skim milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into hot mashed potatoes with a whisk making them fluffy and light.

Fill the frozen deep dish pie crust just to the top with the meat filling then top with mash potatoes. Drag a fork along the top of mash potatoes back and forth or from the center out to make ridges and bake at 350° until potato topping is puffed and browned, and pie crust golden and flaky about 25 to 35 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb and is baked in a casserole dish. It's called Cottage Pie if made with ground beef. I made up this version after tasting my brother's recipe and lightened it up using ground turkey, frozen vegetables, skim milk and omitting the eggs. Using a frozen pie crust makes it easier to take a slice with you to work to microwave for lunch. I like to use Oronoque Brand frozen pie crust (it's made by Mrs. Smith's).