Mini Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is great comfort food.  Mashed Potatoes, Veggies, and flavorful seasoned meat.  Most Americans make this traditional English dish with ground beef, but I like to make it with the healthier alternative of ground turkey.  These mini Shepherd's pies are great if you want a small individual serving or if you are entertaining and want to present them in a unique way.

The other great benefit of this tasty dish is that you can sneak in some veggies for those finicky little eaters like mine:-) My son loves these mini shepherd's pies and he almost forgets that this dish has vegetables in it because they are surrounded by so many other tasty ingredients. When you have children, sometimes you have to get creative when trying to make sure they get a healthy serving of vegetables. This is the perfect meal for those busy days when you want something very filling and delicious. These mini pies are baked in a crust made of Pillsbury Grand biscuits, which makes them even more tasty:-)

This dish starts with seasoned ground turkey and plenty of vegetables

Fluffy mashed potatoes

 And Grands flaky biscuits for that extra special crust

You will also need a 12 cup muffin pan

 

Isn't miniature food the cutest, LOL

And who can resist a tasty mini casserole with melted cheese oozing all over the place...

Ready? Lets make Shepherd's Pies!

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 can biscuits (12) (recommended: Grands)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground Turkey
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup beef or turkey broth
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Split biscuits in half and mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes. 

Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add turkey stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.

Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.

Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with equal amounts of turkey mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.