Shepherd's Pie

This is a great way to use up leftovers, especially roast chicken or turkey and top them with some delicious mashed potatoes. I love the addition of leeks, which are so tasty and in season right now! The recipe is adapted from the Eating Well in Season Cookbook. It was tasty and hearty. I opted to leave the skins on my potatoes for some added fiber. I also made this ahead of time (during nap time) and stashed it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it off for dinner. I don't know about you but evenings around our house can be alittle crazy so it helps to have most of dinner made ahead. Serve this up with a fresh green salad or as a stand alone one dish meal.

Recipe: Serves 6
Ingredients:

Filling:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour (or for gluten free; substitute 1 tablespoon potato starch)
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 1/3 cups Low-Sodium, Organic Chicken broth
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken diced
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Mashed Potatoes:
2 pounds potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold, cut into chunks
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk
salt & pepper to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425'F. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and carrots and cook, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, stir 1 minute more.

2. Pour in just 1/3 cup chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Add 3 tablespoons flour (or potato starch) and sage, stir constantly until the flour starts to turn light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in rest of broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until sauce thickens and carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add turkey (or chicken) and peas, season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

4.Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, cook ~ 10 minutes, drain and return potatoes to warm pan. Mash potatoes with masher or with Immersion Blender (stick blender) adding enough buttermilk to make a smooth puree. Add Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in egg. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the turkey mixture.

5. Bake at 425'F about 20-25 minutes until heated through and top is golden.

{Make ahead TIP}: Prepare through step 4, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator up to 1 day, pull out and let rest on counter about 20 minutes before baking. May need to add 5 minutes to baking time as needed.