Non-traditional Shepherd's Pie

I absolutely adore Shepherd's pie. I had some for the first time ever this past Christmas, that my parents had made. It tasted every bit as good as it looked, which to me, is always surprising. Often times, some of the most well presented meals don't live up to the hype, but this one sure did. I've been meaning to make a Shepherd's pie of my own since then, but I never had all of the ingredients, only the meat and potatoes, and whatever other various vegetables that I happened to pick up at the supermarket that week.

I've had half a bag of potatoes in my fridge for quite some time now, along with ground turkey, onions, and some beautiful red bell peppers that I wasn't sure what to do with. Instead of making the usual stuffed peppers I wanted to try something a little different, so I substituted the carrots and peas in the traditional Shepherd's pie, for the red bell pepper. It was a stroke of genius. Such a good combination, all of the flavors intermingled beautifully. To say it was good would be an understatement...Burt and I finished the ENTIRE tray by ourselves in a day. Yeah. We're those people.

Non-traditional Shepherd's Pie
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray's Steakhouse Shepherd's pie

For the mashed potatoes:

• 5-6 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
• 2 Tbs sour cream
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, enough water to cover the potatoes, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain potatoes and put back in pot. Set aside.

For the ground turkey

• 1 1b ground turkey
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbs olive  oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add the meat and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, red bell pepper, onion and garlic powder. cook until all of the meat is browned and the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the gravy:

• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Continue whisking for about two minutes. Add in the chicken stock and worcestershire sauce and let cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assembling your pie:

Turn the oven on  to broil. In a 13x9 inch pan, add the meat evenly to the bottom. Pour the gravy on top of the meat evenly. In a large mixing bowl, add the drained potatoes, sour cream, butter, and cheese and mix until potatoes are well blended, but not too creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. With a large serving spoon, lay your mashed potatoes on top of the meat and gravy until it is completely covered and even. Broil in the oven about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are browned on top. Serve hot!