Modern Day Shepard’s Pie – Turkey and Cauliflower Mash

Nothing beats a warming and comforting meal like Shepard’s Pie. My mom makes a delicious Shepard’s pie and I remember having leftover for days. It’s one of my fathers favourite meals that my mom makes 🙂

I like baking casseroles mainly because of the leftover factor. Reheating a delicious meal for lunch the next day served up with a side salad gets a thumbs up in my books! Casseroles are great if you have kids or a large family, as they can easily be frozen and heated up during a late or busy weeknight.

This recipe is more of a “modern-day” Shepard’s pie. It still contains delicious and flavourful ground meat, but I’ve opted for a cauliflower mash instead of potatoes. Trust me, if you’re a potato lover, you wouldn’t even know the difference.

Cauliflower contains a powerful compound called sulforaphane. This a sulfur compound that has been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. How amazing is that?! Sulforaphane can also improve blood pressure and support the detoxification process of the liver and kidneys. Bonus!

So let’s get to this cancer-protective recipe and get our cook on!

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Turkey & Cauliflower Shepard’s Pie
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 ½ lbs ground turkey
1 red onion, diced
1 garlic cloves, minced
½ green pepper, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp smoked hot paprika
1 400ml can diced tomatoes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Spread onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until soft. Add to food processor with ¼ cup broth and combine until mashed. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, approximately 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, add onions, garlic and peppers. Cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add in spices/herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add in turkey, with remaining 1-cup stock, tomatoes and vinegar. Cook for 5-6 minutes until thickened slightly. Transfer to a baking dish and smooth out with a spatula.
  4. Spoon cauliflower mixture puree over turkey. Gently smooth out. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until top is slightly golden.

 

* If you’d like to freeze this dish to serve at a later time in the week, allow turkey mixture to cool in pan before adding to baking dish. Once cooled, add to dish with cauliflower mash, cover with plastic wrap/foil and freeze. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 and bake for 45 minutes covered. Removed foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

 

Serve this with a simple side salad and you have yourself an amazing, nutrient dense meal that is oh-so-satisfying!

 

Happy Cooking!

P.S. Looking for more great healthy recipes to cook up!? I’ve got you covered! Check out The Qualitarian Life Cookbook that is full of 40+ gluten free recipes that are incredibly delicious and super healthy! Get your copy HERE!

To Your Health & Abundance,
Samantha xo

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