Turkey Shepards Pie is one of those hearty, ready in a snap, and loved by everyone meals. The best part? It only requires a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry!
If you love classic comfort food you need to try my chicken and dumplings, or my hamburger soup!

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LET’S MAKE TURKEY SHEPARDS PIE!
First off, you will start with boiling some chopped and peeled potatoes.

Depending on the size of your chopped potatoes, these will take around 15-20 minutes of boiling to be tender enough to mash.

In a rush? No problem! Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. The smaller the “cube” the faster it will cook!
To test if the potatoes are “fork tender” carefully poke a potato cube with a fork. If the fork inserts easily without resistance, your potatoes are done! If it is difficult to poke the potato, keep them boiling for a few more minutes and check again.
THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
The absolute easiest way to mash potatoes is with a hand mixer.
After the potatoes have boiled, drain off the excess water and return the potatoes to the pot or a large mixing bowl.
While the potatoes are still hot, add the butter, heavy cream and salt.

Then, using a hand mixer, start mixing on low speed and begin to break up the potatoes. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer until all of the potato cubes are whipped into a velvety creamy mash.

Set these aside and we will make the filling next!
ONTO THE SHEPARDS PIE FILLING
The filling is essentially a “one pot meal” as in we will be making the filling and baking the final dish in one pan!
The easiest way to make this shepards pie is in a cast iron pan, or oven safe skillet.
This way, you will cook the filling on the stove, and transfer an already hot pan, directly into the oven, which accounts for a lesser baking time! Woohoo!
To prepare the shepards pie filling
First, preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large cast iron pan (or oven safe skillet) over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and ground turkey. Cooking over medium heat, crumble the turkey and cook until the turkey is fully cooked and browned.
If you do not have an oven safe skillet or cast iron pan. Cook the shepards pie filling in a regular deep skillet, and transfer to an oven safe casserole dish before topping with potatoes.

When the turkey is fully cooked, add the frozen peas, corn, red onion, lentils, and gravy, then stir to combine. Transfer back to the stove and heat the turkey mixture for an additional 5 minutes over medium-low heat.

(there are no red onions in the photos of this recipe, because we have an onion allergy in our house and we ate the food that we prepared for this post. This recipe has been tested in a separate kitchen with red onions.)
Remove the filling mixture from the heat and, using a spatula, smooth out the top of the turkey filling.
Scoop the prepared creamy mashed potatoes on top of the turkey mixture and evenly spread the potatoes over the entire pan.

Bake the shepards pie for 30 minutes. At the end of the baking time, switch the oven to broil (high), and broil for 5 more minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

FUN FACT!
Using a cast iron pan adds extra minerals into your food! And you guessed it, that mineral is IRON!

LENTILS!
We are lentil obsessed in our kitchen!
Lentils make a great “filler” in recipes and also helps reduce meat intake.
Using lentils or other types of beans can not only help your wallet (beans are WAY cheaper than meat) and add in some more bulk, but also provide more nutrition in our meals.

Some nutrition that Lentils provide;
(source: google)
- FIBER! This is so important to include in your diet. It keeps your digestive system happy and in check!
- Maintenance for bone strength and they provide a healthy dose of folic acid!
- They are also low in calories and packed with protein!
The list goes on, but these are my favorite perks of the legume!
STORAGE
This turkey shepards pie makes the most perfect weekday lunches!
It reheats in a snap in the microwave and still tastes every bit as good as straight out of the oven!
Store leftover shepards pie in an air tight container and keep in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3 days.
To reheat the shepards pie, you can either use the microwave or the oven.
Microwave: place the shepards pie in a microwave safe bowl or container and heat on high for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
Oven: place the shepards pie into an oven safe container and heat at 350°F for 10 minutes, until heated through.
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Turkey Shepards Pie
A hearty, warming dish that is perfect year round!
Ingredients
Creamy Mashed Potato Topping
- 6 large Yellow Potatoes (~2 ½ lbs), peeled and cubed
- 5-6 cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- Pinch of Salt
Shepards Pie Filling
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 ½ cups Peas, frozen
- 1 ½ cup Corn Kernels, frozen
- ½ large Red Onion
- 1 can Brown Lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Turkey Gravy*
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Mashed Potato Topping
- In a large pot bring the water to a boil.
- Add the chopped potatoes and boil until potatoes can be easily poked with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain off excess water and return potatoes to the pot.
- Add in butter, heavy cream, and salt. Using a hand mixer with the beater attachments, or a potato masher, mix/mash the potatoes until they are a smooth creamy consistency. Set aside.
Shepards Pie Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large cast iron (or oven safe skillet)* over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and ground turkey to the skillet. Cook until turkey is fully cooked and browned.
- When the turkey is fully cooked, add the frozen peas, corn, red onion, lentils, and gravy, then stir to combine. Transfer back to the stove and heat the turkey mixture for an additional 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Remove from the heat and using a spatula, smooth out the top of the turkey filling. Scoop the prepared mashed potatoes on top and evenly spread over entire pan.
- Bake the shepards pie for 30 minutes. At the end of the baking time, switch the oven to broil (high), and broil for 5 more minutes.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- If you do not have an oven safe skillet or cast iron pan. Cook the shepards pie filling in a regular fry pan, and transfer to an oven safe casserole dish before topping with potatoes.
*For the gravy, you can make your own from turkey stock, or use the pre-made store bought packages.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 747Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 480mgCarbohydrates: 88gFiber: 13gSugar: 9gProtein: 35g
Please Note- The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
This post was updated on January 11th, 2021
Allison says
Love the new look of the website. Fresh and exciting. Thanks for everything you do.
Jessica says
Thank you so much!
Manesha says
I followed this recipe before and got the perfect Shepard’s pie. I’m so unimpressed with the steps now. It told me how to make it creamy by adding gravy and heavy cream before. This is such a disappointment.
Jessica says
Hi Manesha,
I am so sorry to hear that it didn't work out this time. I have never changed or updated this recipe since originally uploading it to my site, so I am not sure what went wrong!
allison says
Made this last night. Love this recipe so hearty and comforting. Had leftovers for breakfast it was so good.
Staying inspired to create good food is so hard when staying at home full time.
Thanks keep the great recipes coming.
Jessica says
We are so happy that you liked it!
Be sure to check back often, new recipes are coming all the time!
Bob says
Wasn't aware that Shepherds herded turkeys.