Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Got some ground turkey from a ButcherBox super sale and decide to use some and try a Shepherd’s Pie for the first time. Lyn usually made this using Lamb. I suppose you could use any ground meat. I had made a huge batch of mashed potatoes yesterday and used leftover for this. When very young my son insisted that everything be separate on the plate he had some rule about mixing foods. he also hated fat but loved pepperoni and Asian style ribs you known the red ones, which could be very fatty. Anyway I found a recipe and it had one of those handy how many you’re cooking for scalers so this is for TWO. I made some turkey burger patties for lunch today.

Ingredients for 2 servings

Meat Filling:

  • 0.67 tablespoons olive oil
  • 0.33 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 0.33 lb. 90% lean ground turkey, beef or ground lamb
  • 0.67 teaspoons dried parsley leaves
  • 0.33 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  • 0.33 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 0.17 teaspoon salt
  • 0.17 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.33 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.67 garlic cloves -minced
  • 0.67 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 0.67 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 0.33 cup beef broth
  • 0.33 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots Note: Did not have frozen carrots so I saluted with the onions
  • 0.17 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping:

  • *Note: I used 2% milk and added the cheese
  • 0.5 – 0.67 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2.67 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick
  • 0.11 cup half & half *
  • 0.17 teaspoon garlic powder Note: I usually add 1-2 cloves when boiling potatoes so left powder out.
  • 0.17 teaspoon salt
  • 0.08 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.08 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the Meat Filling.

  • Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the ground turkey to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain.
  • Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Set the meat mixture aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the potato topping.

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return the potatoes to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.
  • Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.
  • Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble the casserole.

  • Pour the meat mixture into a 9×9 (or 7×11) inch baking dish. Spread it out into an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Carefully spread into an even layer.
  • If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.** Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Tex-Mex Muffaletta

Tex-Mex Muffaletta

This is a recipe that Lyn and I found in some magazine years and years ago, although it has been a little while since I made she brought it up after I told her what my Super Bowl game day recipe was going to be. This is a good one for a help yourself party or event.

We’ve Stuffed our version of this traditional New Orleans sandwich with deli thin slice smoked chicken and Monterey Jack Cheese combined with as Lyn and I call it a the sandwich with the corn salad.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. grated lime zest
  • 2 clove garlic minced
  • 1 ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 6 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 yellow, red and or green pepper diced (nice to mix colors)
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 larger tomato diced
  • 6 scallions chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
  • 1 round loaf crusty bread, 9” in diameter, 1 ¾ lbs
  • 1 Lb. deli-sliced smoked chicken breast, divided into 3 equal piles (can use turkey if you want)
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese. Shredded about 2 cups divided into 3 equal piles

How

Salad

In a bowl mix the first 9 ingredients and then whisk in oil. Add the next 5 ingredients. Set aside

Sandwich

Slice top 1/3 from the bread and set the top aside.

Pull out center leaving ½” thick shell.

Spread 1/3 of pepper mixture on bottom, top with 1/3 of chicken and 1/3 of cheese.

Repeat layers with remaining pepper mixture, chicken and cheese.

Replace bread top

Warp with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours. Server sliced in wedges

This takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare not counting the 8 hour frig time that is.

Serve with some chips and GRONKACAMOLE, Pig Skins  and Beer what else!!

How to put together

slice

QUICK TIP

Use leftover bread from this sandwich to make croutons, bread crumbs or panzanella (Italian bread salad).

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2" cust

Cut top third of bread off and remove all leaving 1/2″ cust

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

layer with 1/3 corn salad, then 1/3 turkey then cheese continue finishing with corn salad

replace the top

replace the top

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate  8 hours

wrap with plactic wrap tightly and refrigerate 8 hours

remove wrap

remove wrap

Slice

Slice

Serve

Serve

Layers are nice presentation

Layers are nice presentation

Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine

Crockpot Beef Stew with Red Wine

I love when the temps turn to sweatshirt weather, a time when your cheeks get that slight wind chill burn when you’re out for a walk. Work is located downtown and I walk 2 miles every lunch time to keep in shape, get some fresh air but mostly just to clear the head. I have come up with many solutions to the days pressing issue while walking. I’m and IT guy with 35 or so users spread out in 5 locations with an additional 6 servers/PCs to service. To top it off sales is on the road here and in Asia a lot of the time. So every call I get it is 99.99% chance of being issue call. As anyone in my situation will tell you every caller does not give a _____ about anyone else problems just theirs. Oh yeah you take care of the president first, no matter what.

Anyway back to my daily walks, some of the shop owners, police and the mentally challenged give me the nod as I walk by with ear buds blocking out the sounds of downtown Milford and the local neighborhood. I have become a townie it has been since I was in my teens that I’ve been there. Different town different times.

Lyn and I finally broke down and bought a new crockpot, one that you can put the pot on the burner and brown saving those great little flavor bits on the bottom. With sweatshirt weather there is nothing better than coming in from outside and smelling the rich flavors of a great beef stew, heck even a bad one smells good.  As promised here is that quick beef stew recipe I made. I made a small batch since I am still on the fend for yourself diet but made sure I had left overs.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 pounds stew beef like bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. ground pepper
  • *********
  • Pinch or two of red hot pepper flakes
  • 1-2 Tbsps. olive oil (plus more if needed)
  • 1 medium to large onions, ruff chop
  • ¼ cup ketchup – I did not have tomato paste that would probably be about 1-2 Tbsps.
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 large potato, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup bay carrots
  • ¼-1/2 cup chicken broth would have been better with beef broth but again I did not have.
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • *********
  •  ¼-1/2 cup frozen peas put in when almost ready to serve
  • ¼-1/2 cup frozen corn put in when almost ready to serve

 

Directions

1. Coat the beef in the flour and pepper. I like to put in plastic bag and shake to coat. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a crockpot pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and coat the onions. Remove and set aside.

3. Place pot in crockpot, pour the wine into the pot and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, thyme, red pepper flakes and bay leaf.

4. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 ½-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Add the peas and corn and heat through.

I was nervous because it was a small batch but it came out pretty darn good.

My pictures did not come out that great so I admit it I borrowed one from the web. Thanks Susie Cushner interestingly enough her recipe was real close to what I did. Our gut instincts must be close.
Roasted Corn Salad

Roasted Corn Salad

First let me say that you are not held to any but the corn in this recipe what I add is different almost every time this time fresh peas.

  

I love this time of year you can almost see the corn starting in Florida making its way up the coast. When I was younger one of my many summer jobs running the produce department (so I thought) at Paul’s Market a local grocery store in North Falmouth, Ma I learned a lot about corn among other things. I even got to meet an up and coming Barbra Waters, picked out her produce on more than one day. I used to give the overripe peaches to the old lady next door who came back with ice cream for all the workers. Did you know a room temperature watermelon and a straight piece of straw from a broom could tell you how ripe the melon was? Yep balance the middle of the straw in the middle of the watermelon and for some reason the more it twisted and turned the riper the melon. I used to swear by it and it appeared to be a true lesson my boss taught me. Being a local market we bought local when available and one of my fondest memories were the trips to buy corn. We would wander out in the field pick an ear and eat it when we both liked what we tasted we would indicate give us these two rows. Then load up the van and back to the store. I did not talk much in the car then, nothing has changed, and that used to drive Paul crazy on our trips to the farms or dump. Where did that come from?

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp. diced chipotle chili seeded or not, plus 1 Tbsp. adobe sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ½ tsp. honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Above make the vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-6 ears of corn
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro chopped (plus you can put some leaves aside for garnish)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quarter depending on size
  • ½ cup peeled and fine chopped apple
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • Peas from about 20 pea pods
  • ½ medium red pepper fine chop
  • I have used about ¼ cup of radishes chopped or jicama

How

Husk the corn rub with a little olive oil and place on grill turn occasionally until charred about 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove the kernels in your favorite manner. I like to place on a small bowel or cup upside down in a bowl rest the stem side of corn on it and run a knife down the side so the kernels fall into bowl. Break apart and clumps of kernels with your fingers, they do not all have to be separate.

Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together lime and orange juice, chipotle chili, adobe sauce, 1 tsp. salt, garlic, honey, and ¼ cup olive oil until smooth and set aside.

Add the rest of the ingredients to corn combine then re-whisk (is that a word?) the vinaigrette combine and garnish with cilantro leave you had put aside.

Serve at room temperature. I like the smoky flavor the charred corn give the dish.

This makes a great topper for salads or sloppy sandwiches.