The Reinvention of Shepherds Pie - Paleo Style

This morning I took some ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and bacon out of the freezer. I had no plans for what I was going to do until later in the day I became inspired to make shepherds pie.  I think it must have had something to do with all the carrot rounds I had been making!

Of course it is not a traditional Shepherds Pie.  I used ground turkey instead of lamb, didn't use a layer of carrots, and didn't use mashed potatoes!!  Not much of a shepherds pie. lol.  My layers include ground turkey in a tomato sauce (with bacon and hidden shredded cauliflower), shredded zucchini and carrot, and sweet potato/pumpkin mash.  I hid the cauliflower in the meat sauce because I am hoping my husband and Avery at least eat the meat sauce. LOL.  I made Aver some individual sized pies and skipped the veggie layer... baby steps!!

Ingredients:

1. Ground Turkey -- I just used a prepacked chunk, I have no idea what it weighed
2. Bacon -- use as little or as much as you like. I cooked the whole pack, but Ave and I ate at least 1/2 of it ;-)
3. Sundried Tomatoes -- use as many as you like. I love them so I use lots (probably 3 forkfulls) I buy mine pre-shredded at Costco
4. 1 can diced tomatoes -- I used a medium sized can
5. 1 can tomato paste
6. shredded cauliflower -- this you can use as little or as much as you want. I wanted it subtle, so I probably used 1/4 cauliflower head
7. shredded zucchini, and carrot -- I just used up whatever was in my fridge and I used all I had
8. 2 sweet potatoes
9. pureed pumpkin -- I used leftover canned pumpkin.  Just make sure its not sweetened
10. salt and pepper to taste
11. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Roast sweet potatoes until soft -- I cooked one in the microwave from frozen.
2. Remove skins and mash.  
3. Add equal amounts of pumpkin and mix well.
4. Add cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside mash.
5. In a large skillet, cook up the bacon. Crumble/chop the bacon and set aside. Try not to eat it all!
6. throw your shredded zucchini and carrots in remaining bacon fat and cook - place in a bowl and set aside.
7. cook the cauliflower in remaining bacon grease - place in a bowl and set aside I needed a little more fat, so I tossed in a little extra bacon grease (we keep ours stored)
8. add ground turkey and sundried tomatoes into skillet and brown turkey I kept chopping mine up to avoid big chunks
9. add the bacon, diced tomatoes and tomato paste and mix well
10. add cooked cauliflower to the mix
11. Begin layering your dish (oven safe). I used pyrex dishes Meat mixture, veggies, mash.
12. place in the oven and bake at 350 until sauce bubbles- 15-20 min, and broil for 10 minutes to brown the mash

 My recipe intructions are not written as beautifully as most blogs, but you get the point! LOL

I hope you enjoy it....

Happy Eating!!

JoJo!!