Popeye the Sailor Man Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Today, I am cooking from home.  I want to use up some potatoes and spinach that are lying around, so I’m thinking something along the lines of a   You will quickly learn that I have a “dad” sense of humor and that I’m fairly lazy, because I don’t want to go to the all the way to the store four blocks away, I will just use what I have on-hand and give it a funny name.  Also, you’ll notice this recipe doesn’t include cooked carrots or corn kernels, my wife has threated my life requested that I never cook with them.  

Popeye the Sailor Man Turkey Shepherd’s Pie (get it, ‘cause of the spinach).

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes:

·      4-5 medium russet potatoes

·      1 tablespoon of butter

·      ¼ cup low fat milk

·      1 teaspoon kosher salt

·      ½  teaspoon pepper

·      1/8 cup egg substitute

For the turkey filling:

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      1 cup chopped yellow onion

·      2 cloves minced garlic

·      1 ¼ lbs ground turkey

·      1 teaspoon kosher salt

·      ½ teaspoon pepper

·      2 tablespoons all purpose flour

·      ¼ cup red wine

·      1 cup chicken broth

·      2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped

·      2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped

·      1 cup diced green beans

·      2 cups fresh chopped spinach

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the potatoes and slice in half. Place them in an 8 to 10 inch cast iron skillet and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, over high heat, then, reduce the heat to medium to simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and put them in a bowl that will allow your potato masher to sit flat on the bottom (if you do not have a bowl that works use the skillet then transfer to a bowl.) Add the butter and start mashing. When the butter melts, then, add milk, salt, and pepper and continue mashing.  Once mashed to your liking, add the egg substitute and stir in until it is combined.

Add oil to the same cast iron skillet and put it back on the stove over medium high heat. Sauté the onions (I used about ¾ cup yellow and ¼ cup red). If you wanted to use carrots, you would add them with the onions.  Once the onions start changing color, add garlic, and stir. Let it all sauté for about one more minute. Add the turkey, salt and pepper, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Once the turkey has browned sprinkle the meat with flour while stirring. Add the wine, chicken broth, rosemary, and thyme.  Stir the filling together and bring to a light boil. Once it is boiling reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Finally, add the green beans and simmer for five more minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. 

Level out the filling, and top with the mash potatoes – spreading it out as best you can to seal in the top and keep the gravy you just created from drying out. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top starts to browning.  Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Seriously, you won’t want to, but you have to let it sit and cool a bit. Take it from a serial tongue burner.

Other variations/substitute:

·      Carrots, corn kernels and English peas for the green beans and spinach.  You want about a cup and a half total for the carrots, corn and peas – spinach shrinks down a lot!!

·      Worcestershire sauce for the wine