Winter Squash Shepherd's Pie

One of my favorite comfort foods is Shepherd's Pie. Shepherd's pie is one of the first things I look for when eating at a Irish Pub- and if its on the menu, I will definitely order it!

A twist to take on the Shepherd's Pie is to replace the potatoes with your choice of Winter Squash. For this recipe, I used butternut squash. I chose this squash for two reasons- one being the yield of the flesh, and another being that it was readily available to me today!

I first set my oven to 400 F, and put the butternut squash in the oven- and start on my veggie prep!

Ingredients:

.5lb of Each- Ground Turkey blended with Ground Beef (traditional Shepherd's Pie call for Lamb- I just had some left over ground turkey to use!)

1 Large Onion

1 Clove of Garlic

1 Large Carrot

1 Stem of Celery

1 Cup Diced Mushrooms

2oz of Rosemary 

1 Small Can of Tomato Paste

2 oz of White Wine Vinegar

1 Cup Choice of Gravy

Feel free to add any veggies- some people add peas, I chose not to this time;) 

Directions:

Bake your squash before starting your prep!  Cutting the squash this way is so much easier and safer. You will also save a ton of time. Check out our @baybabyproduce Instagram page to see this hack!

Cut all veggies to desired size- you can also save yourself some labor by buying the value added cut vegetable in your local grocery store. Look for a pack labeled Mirepoix- which is a mix of carrots, celery and onions- already finely diced!

I like to cook the veggies first- in some butter. I brown them slightly, which brings out the flavor and helps the veggies hold their texture in the pie. 

I add my ground meat- I went with ground turkey, mixed with ground beef. I added my white wine vinegar, my can of tomato paste, and all of the seasoning! I lastly added a touch of mushroom gravy- to give the pie an ooey gooey effect!

After everything has cooked together, place the filling at the bottom of a butter lined pan. I then take my squash, which I have mashed, and lay it over the top. 

I put the Shepherd's Pie back in the oven for a few minutes on broil- this will help crispy up the top!

Pull out of the oven, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary!