Macaroni Shepherd's Pie

Recipe: Tyler Florence

Overall, a pretty good casserole. It's nothing completely out of this world, that you'll crave until the day you die, but it's a perfectly good weeknight casserole. It sure does dirty a lot of pans though. I used hamburger instead of turkey, because I had some that needed to be used and tomatoes are the devil in my house, so I omitted those from the top. It would have made it pretty, but I wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole. There's a lot of instruction, but it's not as complicated as it looks.

Turkey Base:
2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 medium sweet onion , diced
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tsp. fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remainder of Pie:
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 medium sweet onions
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta
2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella
1/2 cup panko
1 tomato , thinly sliced
Chopped fresh parsley to finish

To make turkey base: Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and turkey and brown well all over. Add onion and continue to cook until onion is lightly caramelized. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and combine well before adding stock. Continue to cook until slightly thickened. Taste once more and adjust seasoning if required.

To make remainder of pie: Boil pasta in salted water until tender. Add frozen vegetables to a colander. Holding a strainer above the colander, pour out the pasta and water into the strainer so the hot water blanches the frozen vegetables.

In a pot, add chicken stock, bay leaf and chopped onion. Simmer for 15 minutes until liquid has reduced by half and onion is very tender. Remove bay leaf and puree in a blender. Add ricotta and season well with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth and thick. In a large mixing bowl, add cooked pasta, shredded mozzarella and pour over sauce. Combine well.

In a medium-size gratin dish or lasagna pan, add ground turkey, top with frozen vegetables and then pour over the sauced macaroni. Sprinkle with panko and top with slices of tomato. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Finish with freshly chopped parsley.