I got this super fun casserole dish with my name on it for Christmas and I knew the exact dinner I wanted to make! The classic cottage pie!

I knew I wanted to make it healthier and I wanted to use up leftovers I had in the fridge. I found the perfect way to use my leftover mashed potatoes! Ok, hear me out…

So I hate having to warm up leftover mashed potatoes before putting them on top of a cottage pie. And then they always seem much thicker and harder to spread or pipe. Since I knew I was going to make this cottage pie and use this specific dish, I outlined the dish on a piece of parchment paper and then turned it upside down.

Then I just schmeared my leftover mashed potatoes from a different dinner. I saw someone else who used a Dutch oven to make their cottage pie, so they put the parchment in the bottom and put their mashed potatoes in a single layer that way. To each their own, just make sure it’s the shape of the top of your dish and then cover with more parchment and put on the freezer.

Then when you’re ready, you can just take your frozen leftover mashed potatoes and put them on top of your cottage pie. I happened to make this dish the next day, but if you’re storing the leftover mashed potatoes longer, I would freeze them first and then wrap them in some Saran Wrap or a ziploc bag and then put them back in the freezer.

I wanted to quickly give you my dirty mashed potato recipe in case you wanted to make this cottage pie recipe all in one day.

Dirty Mashed Potatoes Recipe:

Ingredients:

•2 1/2 lbs yellow potatoes, washed and cubed 

•4oz cream cheese

•3 tbsp unsalted butter

•about 1/4 cup milk (I used plain unsweetened almond milk) 

•1 tsp each black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and dried parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender 
2. Add all ingredients to potatoes after straining and mix with a hand mixer for just a few seconds and add extra milk drizzle to desired consistency 
3. Be sure not to over mix or they will become stodgy and weird, I personally like some chunks of potatoes left too for texture so that helps from over mixing 

I cannot emphasize enough not to over mix your mashed potatoes or they will become gummy. I just use this hand mixer from Amazon instead of a kitchen aid because I feel like I have more control for a mashed potato.

I made my cottage pie in this cast iron pan from Amazon. Normally I would just make the leftover mashed potatoes in this size shape but again, I was really hype to use my new casserole dish I got for Christmas. But that’s also an option. This condiment squeeze bottle is also from Amazon, as will be all the products in this blog post. I put my olive oil in there because it’s much easier to manage than the big spouts that olive oil containers usually come with.

Keeping with the healthy theme of this cottage pie, I used ground turkey and made sure I added this Mushroom powder by Ellie’s Best for more umami flavor and extra health benefits.

The rest of the spices are really up to you and what you have on hand, but I used the mushroom powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, black pepper and chili powder in my ground turkey cottage pie. Also I love using these disposable gloves when I’m dealing with meat products or just don’t want to mess up my nails while cooking.

Then I just used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables because this cottage pie is meant to be an easy weeknight dinner idea and we’re always pressed for time on the weeknights! I also recommend a cast iron handle cover so you don’t have to keep grabbing an oven mitt and then it’s awkward to hold. Be sure to take it off before putting it in the oven though, if you made this cottage pie completely in the cast iron.

Here is where things get versatile. Nearly every week I make a healthy cauliflower bolognese in my crockpot and use it throughout the week for all kinds of dinner recipes from pizza to pasta and even this cottage pie. It’s a great way to pack in extra vegetables and it is super low sodium which is great for my husband. That’s what I added to my cottage pie but you can certainly use red sauce in a jar or can and add extra vegetables or not, I mean really you can do anything. Heck, you can even do like beef broth and corn starch slurry action, even like a gravy. The possibilities are endless.

I also added a little no salt added broth to thin it out a little bit but I don’t know that was necessary with my cauliflower bolognese. I added some shredded Swiss cheese on top of my frozen leftover mashed potatoes because why not. And Swiss is one of the least amount sodium cheeses on the market.

I guess my recipe isn’t so secret anymore, eh? I love these pink serving spoons and white ramekins. I use these ramekins for everything from pre measuring my ingredients to as a bowl to eat out of.

The gold flatware is also from Amazon and makes me feel fancy for super inexpensive.

Be sure to watch my video too for more details!

Ground Turkey Cottage Pie Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp each mushroom powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, cumin and chili powder
• 12oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups cauliflower bolognese
• 1/4 cup no salt added vegetable broth
• mashed potatoes
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a pan, add some olive oil and begin browning your ground turkey and spices together until almost cooked through
3. Add the frozen veg and mix, then add the bolognese or red sauce and mix
4. Add vegetable broth and bring to a simmer
5. Either add to a casserole dish or keep in your pan if it is oven safe and add your leftover mashed potatoes on top
6. Sprinkle your cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly
7. Enjoy!

She’s so beautiful! I absolutely loved the way this ground Turkey cottage pie turned out and it was so super easy to throw together because I set myself up for success. I don’t like to meal prep the traditional way but I like to make extras of things like mashed potatoes and that bolognese to use in other dishes throughout the week.

This retro microwave is my favorite new addition to my little kitchenette area, I just had to share. It fits perfectly on our little dining table for 2 that really is just extra counter space for us because we tend to eat our meals on the couch and coffee table.

Ok love you bye

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