Ground Turkey Cottage Pie is a quick and easy dinner recipe the whole family will love! Ground turkey is cooked down with veggies in a savory beef broth sauce and topped with mashed potatoes before getting a quick bake/broil in the oven. We love a one-pan dinner in our household and this lighter spin on cottage pie is so easy to throw together on a busy night.
“This recipe came out amazing and delicious. I didn’t have any ground beef so I looked up ground turkey recipes and I came across this one. I’m so glad I tried it and the whole family loved it. Don’t think, just make this and you will be so happy you did!!” – T, So Much Food reader
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Skip the Beef and Make Cottage Pie with Ground Turkey Instead!
Cottage pie — a spin on shepherd’s pie — is typically made with ground beef, but we’re using turkey this time instead. The ground turkey makes the cottage pie feel lighter while still being super comforting and flavorful.
I mean, is there anything better than a one-pan meal that’s topped with cheesy mashed potatoes? Cottage pie is so easy to throw together, and I love that it goes straight from stove-top to oven in 30 minutes flat.
Best of all, it’s an easy recipe to customize based on what you have on hand. You can even use store-bought mashed potatoes to make this recipe even easier (Bob Evan’s, anyone?)!
Required Equipment
- Oven-safe Skillet or Braiser
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Hand Mixer
The Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground turkey. Opt for a ground turkey with slightly more fat (93/7), to keep the cottage pie filling from drying out. You could also swap in ground beef, chicken, or even shredded cooked chicken or leftover roast turkey.
- Veggies. This recipe uses onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and frozen peas, but you could also add in other veggies like diced potato, green beans, or corn.
- Herbs and spices. Marjoram, sage, and garlic add tons of flavor without being overwhelming.
- Flour. A bit of flour helps thicken the gravy, but you could swap in a cornstarch slurry to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Worcestershire. Worcestershire sauce adds great savory flavor.
- Beef broth. I love using beef broth to keep it feeling similar to the traditional recipe, but you could also use chicken or turkey broth.
- Mashed potatoes. You can definitely use store-bought mashed potatoes to make this cottage pie recipe even easier, or you can try my horseradish or crème fraîche mashed potatoes for a totally homemade recipe.
How to Make Cottage Pie with Ground Turkey
Jenny’s Tip: My top recommendation is to invest in a large cast iron skillet or braiser. Cast iron distributes heat better than regular casserole dishes, and my cast iron braiser is such a work horse in our kitchen.
- Brown the mushrooms. You want to cook the mushrooms first because they’re loaded with moisture. If you cook all of the veggies together, the mushrooms will cause everything to steam rather than sauté (and sautéing the veggies gives them lots more flavor!).
- Sauté the veggies. To the browned mushrooms, add in the aromatic onion, celery, and carrots and cook for just a few minutes until softened and starting to develop a little color. Add the garlic and spices last to prevent them from burning.
- Brown the turkey. Add the ground turkey to the pan and cook until no longer pink. Do your best to break up the turkey into little pieces so it mixes well with the vegetables.
- Build the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the ground turkey mixture and cook for a minute or two to remove its raw flavor. Then, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Once the beef broth is added, the filling needs to simmer until thickened.
- Top with mashed potatoes and bake. I always run a fork along the top of the mashed potatoes to create lots of peaks and valleys. This gives the Parmesan something to cling to, and it also creates crispy bits on top of the mashed potatoes.
Jenny’s Tips for the Best Cottage Pie
Don’t skimp on fat. I generally opt for ground turkey that’s 93/7 for fat content because that bit of extra fat makes all the difference! Fat is flavor, and a bit of fat goes a long way to keeping the meat moist.
Use fresh or frozen veggies. Fresh or fresh frozen veggies are always going to beat out canned veggies in my opinion! They stay green and keep their bite even after baking so that you don’t end up with mushy cottage pie filling. If you want to add some extra veggies, grab a bag of your favorite frozen mix!
Brown the mushrooms really well. Browning the mushrooms is the first step to building flavor throughout the dish. If you look at the process photos, the bottom of the pan is covered in brown bits known as ‘fond,’ which is a huge flavor builder. Wait a few minutes to add salt to the mushrooms so they can properly brown.
Use quality mashed potatoes. While I have zero problems using store bought mashed potatoes, there’s no denying that homemade mashed potatoes are superior! If you want a classic mashed potato recipe, try my ultra fluffy homemade mashed potatoes. (I actually used horseradish mashed potatoes here for an extra punch of flavor.) Boil your potatoes while you make your filling, or make your filling several hours in advance for ease.
Make-Ahead Options
You have a couple different options for preparing this ground turkey cottage pie in advance:
- Mashed potatoes: Can be made up to 3 days in advance. Then, all you have to do is simmer the filling and top with the potatoes before baking.
- Ground turkey filling: Can be simmered and then stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance.
- Entire recipe: You can also prep turkey cottage pie up to the point where it goes into the oven and just refrigerate until you’re ready to bake and serve.
What to Serve with Cottage Pie
Cottage pie is almost a meal in itself, but you can pair it with your choice of bread, steamed or roasted vegetables, or a leafy side salad to round things out.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Easy Dinner Recipes with Ground Turkey
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Ground Turkey Cottage Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (93/7)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced chives, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Brown the mushrooms. Add the olive oil to your skillet over medium high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, before seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until deeply browned.
- Saute the veggies. Once the mushrooms are browned, add the two tablespoons of butter. Then, add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and spices.
- Brown the turkey. Once the veggies are soft, add the ground turkey and cook, breaking the meat up as you go, until no pink remains.
- Build the sauce. Once the meat is cooked, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomato paste, dijon, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine. Stir in the beef broth and simmer until thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the frozen peas.
- Top and bake. Mix the mashed potatoes with chives and 1/3 cup of parmesan. Remove from the heat and top with the mashed potatoes. Spread in an even layer and sprinkle with remaining freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the mashed potatoes have browned slightly. Serve immediately.
Storage Instructions
- To store: Let your cottage pie cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.To freeze after baking: Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost before reheating.To freeze before baking: Transfer the cooled filling to a disposable aluminum pan or ceramic pan. Top with the cooled mashed potatoes and cover tightly with foil. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before baking, or bake straight from frozen (remove the plastic wrap) at 350ºF for 90 minutes covered with foil.
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
This recipe came out amazing and delicious. I didn’t have any ground beef so I looked up ground turkey recipes and I came across this one. I’m so glad I tried it and the whole family loved it. Don’t think, just make this and you will be so happy you did!!
So happy you enjoyed it!