Kiss Me I'm Irish Italian

Ok, so I'm only a little Irish... but that's what you're supposed to say on the green beer holiday - St. Patrick's Day! I was at work for this one, but I whipped up a yummy and healthy rendition of Shepherds Pie before my shift so that we had a great meal anyway. Now this dish is traditionally made with lamb (hence, the shepherd part) but I don't eat lamb, so I used turkey instead! And of course I gave it a little Procido twist. Check it out if you're looking for the ultimate comfort food with less calories.

St. Patrick Turkey Pie


1 lb ground white turkey meat
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 purple onion
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp flour
1 12 oz. bottle of beer
3 carrots
1 cup frozen english peas
1 stalk celery
1/3 bell pepper
2 cups chicken stock
4 baking potatoes
Grated reduced fat cheddar cheese for the top (optional)
fresh parsley


Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Place in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft. Reserve. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add a Tbsp of olive oil. Chop and saute the onions until translucent and add garlic. To this, add the ground turkey and chop it up into small pieces as it cooks through. Mix the tomato paste and flour and combine with the turkey mixture, stirring constantly for a few minutes until incorporated. Give the mixture about 1/2 cup of chicken stock and add the carrots, peas, celery, and bell pepper. Allow this to cook for 3-4 minutes and pour the bottle of beer on top. Reduce heat and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until thick and saucy. A lot of freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, and some paprika + nutmeg really add something to the flavor of this dish. While the veggie-turkey mixture is simmering away you can mash the potatoes. Drain the water and add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time to the potatoes as you whip them. At this point, I also added 9 cloves of garlic to make garlicky mashed potatoes. If you desire, you can add a little earth balance or butter for flavor and creaminess, but if you're really looking for a healthy meal the chicken stock will do the trick! Sprinkle in some freshly chopped parsley and combine. Place the turkey mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish and cover with the mashed potatoes. Top with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese if desired. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Yum!!! 

The beer in this dish really gives the turkey a smoky and deep complexity that is great. I think the nutmeg almost aids the beer in transforming the turkey into a more gamey tasting protein and you probably won't even miss the lamb if you're willing to compromise. This dish incorporates a nice ratio of vegetables to meat and starch, although you could reduce the number of potatoes if you prefer. I have also considered making this dish with zucchini and mushrooms instead of the ground turkey for a completely vegetarian delight! You may be asking yourself - what the hell is she doing adding bell pepper and celery to shepherds pie? Well that's where the Procido in me comes to play. In New Orleans, we start almost every really good dish with a trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper - so I thought "it can only make this better" and I had some extra celery and bell pepper anyway! I think it really works here, too.

Unfortunately I somehow deleted the pictures of this dish, but if you think it sounds appealing you should try it. It's a warming meal with little repercussions.