Sinfully Healthier Shepherds Pie

It's a snow day here in NYC! What else would sound better than a comforting shepherds pie?!

This version is a bit healthier adding more veggies to the meat and using ground turkey rather than lamb or beef. Instead of mashed potatoes try substituting mashed cauliflower to boost up the nutritional value. The secret to making the cauliflower mash sinfully delicious - adding an entire round of garlic and herb boursin cheese. Shhh, don't tell anyone! They won't even know.

Shopping List:

1 lb ground turkey

dried mushrooms (pick your favorite - something with deep flavor)

1 carrot

1 onion

2 celery stalks

1 medium head of cauliflower

2 garlic cloves

tomato paste

rosemary

2 bay leaves

garlic and herb boursin cheese

parmesan cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Reconstitue the dried mushrooms (about 1 cup) in 2 cups hot water. Set aside. Let steep for about 20 minutes or so.

3. In a large pot steem the cauliflower in about a cup of the mushroom water (remove the core and leaves first). This will take about 20 minutes or so. Cook until tender all the way through.

4. Meanwhile, using a dutch oven or skillet sautee a diced onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and chopped garlic in olive oil on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper. Add in 2 tbsp of tomato paste and cook a few minutes more. Add the ground turkey and herbs cooking another 10 minutes until the turkey is fully cooked, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Salt and pepper. Chop up the mushrooms and add to the meat plus the other cup of the mushroom water. Cook together for another 5 minutes to blend the flavors together.

5. When the cauliflower is cooked, add the entire round of garlic and herb boursin cheese and mash it all up just as you would when making making mashed potatoes. Salt and pepper. Add some parmesan cheese if you'd like. I like to use an emertion blender to ensure there aren't any lumps and everything is really creamy.

6. In the same dutch oven or in a sperate cooking dish pour in the meat and mushroom mixture. Spread the mashed cauliflower on top and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese. The parmesan cheese will brown in the oven making the dish look even better.

7. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!