About
Surprise Shepherd's Pie Bake does have its fair share of surprises — featuring turkey instead of beef being the least among them. No, the real surprise behind Surprise Shepherd's Pie Bake is that everything, from the creamy mashed potatoes on top to the succulent filling beneath, is infused with a homemade, Creole-inspired seasoning blend. It's zesty and exciting, with just the right amount of heat to wake your taste buds up! It'll be no secret how much you love this dish!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon water, plus more, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- salt, to taste
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 green onion, sliced, for serving
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -In a bowl, add the Creole seasoning, the black pepper, the garlic powder, the onion powder, and the paprika and whisk to combine.
Step 3 -In a pot, add the potatoes and cover them with enough of the extra water so they are submerged by about 1 inch.
Step 4 -Place the pot on the stovetop over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
Step 5 -Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 6 -Simmer the potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes.
Step 7 -In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
Step 8 -Add the bell peppers, the onions, and the celery to the hot oil and season it with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning blend.
Step 9 -Cook the vegetable mixture, while stirring, until they are softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 10 -Add the garlic to the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 11 -Season the vegetable mixture with the salt.
Step 12 -Add the ground turkey to the vegetable mixture and season it with 2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend.
Step 13 -Cook the turkey, while stirring and crumbling the meat, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Step 14 -Add the broth to the turkey mixture and cook, while stirring, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 15 -In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the water and whisk until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
Step 16 -Add the slurry mixture to the turkey mixture and cook, while stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Step 17 -Season the turkey mixture with the salt, as needed.
Step 18 -Drain the potatoes.
Step 19 -In a bowl, add the cooked potatoes, the remaining seasoning blend, the melted butter, and the milk and mash until they are creamy and just combined.
Step 20 -In a separate bowl, add the Monterey Jack cheese and the cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
Step 21 -Add the cream cheese and 1/2 of the cheese blend to the mashed potatoes and mix well to combine.
Step 22 -Season the mashed potatoes with the salt.
Step 23 -Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Step 24 -Add the turkey mixture to the prepared casserole dish, spreading it out evenly, then top with the potatoes, followed by the remaining cheese.
Step 25 -Top the meat layer with the mashed potatoes and the remaining cheese blend, in that order and spreading both out evenly.
Step 26 -Bake until the mashed potatoes are slightly golden on top and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
Step 27 -Serve topped with the green onions.
