Ground Turkey Shepards Pie

One of my favorite dishes of all time is a mouth watering Shepard's Pie. The problem is that this dish is usually reserved for special occasions due to its usually ridiculously high fat content. Since I love this dish so much I decided to take a stab at a lighter version in hopes that I could re-create it without losing so much wonderful flavor. Shepard's Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb, but Americans often substitute ground beef. I took it one step leaner and made it with lean ground turkey. I also vowed to make it as simple as possible and using very few dishes. Anyone who has ever made Shepard's Pie knows the dishes can pile up quickly. In place of starchy Russet or Idaho potatoes I use red potatoes and leave the skin on. I cut corners by using frozen mixed vegetables and add flavor to the meat with grated onion and garlic. I cut out the butter and used extra virgin olive oil instead and used 1% low fat milk instead of whole milk or cream. Before you go running from this recipe I suggest you give it a try. My husband raved about it, and he is my very own personal food critic.

Ingredients

1 lb or 6 or 7 medium red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, grated (with a cheese grater)
3/4 c frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt and pepper
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup skim or low fat milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes to cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add grated onion and garlic. Saute until onion is golden brown (2-3 minutes). Add ground turkey and increase heat to medium high. Stirring until turkey is browned (8-10 minutes). Add flour and mix well. Add worcestershire and broth until it thickens. Add vegetables and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp salt). Pour mix into 2 quart casserole dish.
Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add remaining oil and begin to mash. Add additional oil by the teaspoon if necessary. Measure out your milk in a large measuring cup and thoroughly mix in egg yolk. Add milk mix slowly while stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon salt). Top meat mixture with potatoes. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Turn on broiler for another 5-10 minutes to brown the top (watch closely). Top with fresh parsley. Serves about 6. We managed to get about 8 servings total.