Recipe Background
Shreveport Pie combines hearty turkey filling with creamy, golden-topped potatoes.
Shreveport Pie is the kind of dish that transforms simple ingredients into a hearty, comforting feast. The aroma of sautéing onions, peppers, and garlic mingles with seasoned ground turkey to fill your kitchen with a warmth that promises a satisfying meal. It offers layers of flavor—the slight kick of crushed red pepper, the earthy thyme, and the subtle smokiness from paprika all make their presence known. This pie, with its savory turkey filling and creamy mashed potato topping, brings a delightful contrast of textures to the table.
The cooking process is a sensory experience, starting with the sizzle of vegetables hitting the hot olive oil, then moving to the bubbling turkey mixture as it comes together with tomatoes and spices. It's important to drain the potatoes well before mashing—this detail helps achieve a silky-smooth topping. Finally, the pie emerges from the oven, its golden-brown crust invitingly crisp, hiding the tender spiced filling beneath.
Serving Shreveport Pie is a shared pleasure. The first slice reveals a band of molten cheese that melds with the potatoes, creating a moment of pure indulgence. Fresh herbs sprinkled on top add brightness and a touch of color, promising a fresh contrast with each flavorful bite. Whether enjoyed on a weeknight or at a family gathering, this pie is sure to be the centerpiece of any meal.
Ingredients
For the potato topping:
- 4 medium baking potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- water to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
For the turkey filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes drained
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay® seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- fresh herbs optional, such as parsley leaves, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the potatoes, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and enough of the water to just cover the potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan.
- Add the cheese, the milk, the butter, and the cream cheese to the potatoes and use a potato masher to mash to the desired consistency.
- While the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
- Add the bell pepper, the onion, and the celery to the oil and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the garlic and the tomato paste into the veggie mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey to the veggie mixture and cook, while crumbling, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, the broth, the thyme, the Old Bay seasoning, the remaining salt, the red pepper, the black pepper, and the paprika to the turkey mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour the turkey filling into the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the mashed potato topping over the turkey mixture.
- Bake the pie until it is hot, bubbly, and the topping is golden-brown, about 25 minutes.
- Let the pie stand for 10 minutes.
- Serve the pie garnished with the fresh herbs.
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