Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie

Make this Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie this St. Patrick’s Day. A healthy spin to traditional Shepherd’s Pie using a green veggie to get a green crusted layer. Made with Romanesco “mashed potatoes” for a low-carb option. Ground turkey for a leaner version. Wholesome ingredients for a healthier Shepherd’s Pie.

Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie

With Valentine’s Day behind us and just a couple of days left in February it’s safe to say we can officially start preparing for St. Patrick’s Day. We love to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as it is a pretty fun holiday to enjoy. Now that we are parents however, the way we celebrate this day has changed quite a bit.

However, just because we don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the way we used to, doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate anymore. We just make sure we do activities we can involve the baby in. Making some crafts at home is a great idea. One of the reason why I love St. Patrick’s Day is because of all the green around. Green is my favorite color so making some fun green and St. Patty’s Day themed crafts sounds like a good time to me.

Another reason why I love this awesome holiday is because of all the food! Irish food is so good and although it may not be the healthiest (as most ethnic foods aren’t), it is delicious to eat. Who doesn’t love a good authentic shepherd’s pie? It’s one of my favorite comfort foods and I also enjoy cooking it myself.

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

Shepherd’s Pie is a traditional Irish dish. It is a meat pie made with lamb and some veggies such as peas, carrots, and celery. The pie is finished with a crust made of mashed potatoes. Shepherd’s Pie can often be mistaken for Cottage Pie. The difference is that while Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb, Cottage Pie is made with beef. Shepherd’s Pie is a fairly easy dish to make and great for the cold winters like the ones up here in New England.

Healthy Variation of Shepherd’s Pie:

The healthy eater in me does like to make healthy variations of this delicious meal. Instead of using lamb, you can use ground turkey. You can also substitute mashed potatoes with mashed sweet potatoes or cauliflower “mashed potatoes”. This makes this dish a more everyday meal with added nutrition and much healthier. 

For this Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie, we are using Romanesco “mashed potatoes”. Romanesco is a naturally green vegetable which gives the top crust that nice green hue. Perfect to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It adds a little touch to make it that much more special for the little ones and more fun.

What is Romanesco?

For those of you who may not be familiar with romanesco, it is a vegetable in the cauliflower and broccoli family. It has a very distinctive look and tastes very much like cauliflower. It is rich in vitamin C, K and dietary fiber. Plus, it is just such a pretty veggie.

Health Benefits of Romanesco:

• Rich in nutrients such as Vitamins C and K, Folic Acid, Fiber, Carotenoids and Potassium
• Strengthens bones
• Improves sight
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Great for reproductive system
• Helps detox

What you need to make this Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie:

Ingredients:

• Ground Turkey
• Carrots
• Celery
• Peas
• Yellow Onion
• Garlic
• Fresh Thyme
• Dried Oregano
• Paprika
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Pink Salt
• Olive Oil
• Romanesco
• Almond Milk
• Butter
• Black Pepper

Equipment:

• Food Processor
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Deep Baking Dish

How to make Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie:

1. Chop romanesco head and steam or boil for 10-15 minutes until soft. Place cooked romanesco head in food processor bowl along with garlic, butter, almond milk, salt and pepper. Pulse on high until well combined and creamy consistency is reached. Use a spatula or spoon and give romanesco a stir making sure there aren’t any chunks and eveything has been blended. If there are any chunks left, blend again until completely smooth. Set romanesco “mashed potato” aside.
2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Toss in onion and garlic and sauté until onion begins to translucent. About 1-2 minutes.  
3. Toss in diced carrots and celery. Continue to sauté for another 3-5 minutes until carrots start to soften. While carrots are sautéing, sprinkle with spices and herbs; thyme, oregano, paprika, and salt. 
4. Add ground turkey and drizzle with apple cider vinegar. Cook until turkey has browned. Toss in peas and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes.   
5. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. 
6. In a deep baking dish, add cooked turkey and veggies. Dollop chunks of romanesco mashed potatoes and spread evenly over turkey and veggies.
7. Place prepped shepherd’s pie in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool off for a bit. Cut through and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Did you like this Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie recipe? You may also like these other St. Patrick’s Day Friendly recipes:

• Classic Shepherd’s Pie
• Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes 
• Broccoli Tots

5 from 5 votes

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Leprechaun Shepherd’s Pie

Make this Leprechaun Shepherd's Pie this St. Patrick's Day. A healthy spin to traditional Shepherd's Pie using a green veggie to get a green crusted layer. Made with Romanesco "mashed potatoes" for a low-carb option. Ground turkey for a leaner version. Wholesome ingredients for a healthier Shepherd's Pie. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Shepherd’s Pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 208 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

For Ground Turkey:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp pink salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

For Romanesco "Mashed Potatoes":

• 1 romanesco head
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pink salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Chop romanesco head and steam or boil for 10-15 minutes until soft. Place cooked romanesco head in food processor bowl along with garlic, butter, almond milk, salt and pepper. Pulse on high until well combined and creamy consistency is reached. Use a spatula or spoon and give romanesco a stir making sure there aren't any chunks and eveything has been blended. If there are any chunks left, blend again until completely smooth. Set romanesco "mashed potato" aside.

2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Toss in onion and garlic and sauté until onion begins to translucent. About 1-2 minutes.  

3. Toss in diced carrots and celery. Continue to sauté for another 3-5 minutes until carrots start to soften. While carrots are sautéing, sprinkle with spices and herbs; thyme, oregano, paprika, and salt.

4. Add ground turkey and drizzle with apple cider vinegar. Cook until turkey has browned. Toss in peas and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes.   

5. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. 

6. In a deep baking dish, add cooked turkey and veggies. Dollop chunks of romanesco mashed potatoes and spread evenly over turkey and veggies.

7. Place prepped shepherd's pie in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool off for a bit. Cut through and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Recipe updated 03/07/19 for improvement.

Nutrition Facts

Leprechaun Shepherd's Pie

Amount per Serving

Calories

208

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

12

g

18

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Trans Fat

 

0.3

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Cholesterol

 

62

mg

21

%

Sodium

 

859

mg

37

%

Potassium

 

374

mg

11

%

Carbohydrates

 

7

g

2

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

19

g

38

%

Vitamin A

 

3856

IU

77

%

Vitamin C

 

9

mg

11

%

Calcium

 

57

mg

6

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.

**Latest post updated as of 4/2/2020

*Post and Pictures updated as of 03/13/19