Shepherd's Pie

Here's an update on a classic. I use ground turkey instead of lamb or beef and I put cheddar cheese in the mashed potatoes. This is a great way to end a Sunday. If you want to make this for a week night then use instant mashed potatoes or use the microwaveable potatoes that your can mash. This will save you some time. Look for microwaveable potatoes in your freezer aisle.

Serves 8
2 pounds ground turkey
1 large onion diced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
4 large carrots peeled and diced
1 cup of chopped celery
3-4 cups of beef stock
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons of corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
4 large potatoes peeled and cubed
2 cups lowfat cheddar cheese
1/3-1/2 cup of buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine

Heat the oven to 375. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high, heat the oil and add the ground turkey. Break up with a spoon as it begins to cook. When the meat is almost cooked through, add the onions, carrots, celery, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for about 7 minutes until the onion is translucent and the veggies just begin to soften. Add the wine, worchestershire sauce, tomato paste and stock, reserving half a cup of stock. Cook the mixture for several minutes until the carrots just soften. Add the cornstarch to the remaining stock. Stir well and pour into the cooking meat and veggies. Stir until the liquid thickens. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot pot. Put the pot back on the stove and cook the potatoes in the dry pot until most of the water has evaporated off of them. You should see very little steam rising from the pot. This should take about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and while still in the pot add the butter, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes. Pour in the buttermilk and continue to mash until you get the desired consistancy. You may not need to add all the buttermilk. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Pour the meat mixture into the prepared casserole. Spread the mixture out evenly. Spoon the potatoes on top as evenly as possible. Place in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet in case of spill overs while baking. Bake until the potatoes have browned on the edges and the gravy is bubbly about 30-40 minutes. If you have refrigerated the casserole before baking, add another 20-25 minutes to the baking time.