Cottage pie with turkey and peas offers comfort in any season

When do you crave something cozy? We often associate the word with warm blankets on cold winter nights, or a hot bowl of soup on a rainy day. But for me, cozy food isn’t seasonal. The kinds of meals that bring us warmth and comfort have the power to do so year-round.

This recipe for Turkey and Pea Cottage Pie checks those boxes. Make this dish for Mother’s Day, to celebrate Mom or anyone maternal in your life. If you’re a mom or a parent or just often find yourself caring for other people, hand this recipe off and ask someone to make it for you. It’s easy enough that just about any home cook can prepare it, and adaptable enough that just about anyone will enjoy eating it.

It’s filling and can be a complete meal on its own, but you can also stretch it out by serving a simple green salad and warm garlic bread on the side.

To make the pie, start by preparing the mash that tops it. I peel and roughly chop a pound of baking potatoes, which could be just one very large potato. (Somehow the idea of peeling a large potato feels less daunting than peeling “a pound of potatoes.”) You could also use buttery Yukon Golds or even sweet potatoes. Once you’ve peeled and chopped your chosen spuds, boil them in salted water in a large cast-iron skillet until they’re tender. You’re going to use this skillet to also cook the turkey filling and to hold the pie, making this a true one-pan recipe.

Once the potatoes are done, drain them, and mash them with sour cream and half-and-half (my preferred creamy duo, but use whatever you’d like, whether butter and milk or olive oil and nondairy cream). Then, wipe out the skillet and use it to saute ground turkey, chopped carrots and onion together with a little seasoning (garlic powder, salt and pepper). Once the turkey is just cooked through, stir in some flour (regular or gluten-free) and then chicken broth to form a smooth, gravy-like sauce. I like to season with plenty of Worcestershire sauce, which offers so much depth of flavor (thanks to anchovies!) and then add a bunch of peas (of course). Peas give a cottage (or shepherd’s) pie a welcome pop of color and sweetness in an otherwise hearty dish.

Top the turkey mixture with the mash, and run the whole thing under the broiler to get it browned and crisp. Scoop into bowls, eat with a spoon, delight in all the peas and call it a day!

Turkey and Pea Cottage Pie

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Fine salt

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup half-and-half or whole milk (see Substitutions)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground turkey, preferably 85 percent lean

2 large carrots (10 ounces total), scrubbed and diced

1 small yellow onion (5 ounces), diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken broth

1½ cups fresh or frozen peas (if frozen, no need to defrost)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a large (10- to 11-inch) cast-iron skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Season generously with salt and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

Drain the potatoes well and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the sour cream and half-and-half or milk, and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and gently mix to combine.

Thoroughly wipe the skillet dry, set over medium heat and heat the oil until shimmering. Add the turkey, carrots, onion and garlic powder, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is just cooked through and the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

Position a rack 6 inches away from the broiling element and preheat your broiler.

Stir the flour into the turkey mixture, then slowly stir in the broth to form a smooth sauce that thickens slightly and coats the turkey and vegetables, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and Worcestershire sauce, then spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top, transfer to the oven and broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned all over. Let sit for a few minutes, then divide among shallow bowls and serve hot.

Substitutions: If you can’t have dairy, use dairy-free sour cream and unsweetened nondairy creamer in place of the half-and-half. To make it vegetarian, use vegan ground meat instead of the turkey, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. Looking for more greens? Stir in a bag of chopped frozen spinach along with the peas. Prefer sweet potatoes to regular potatoes? Use them instead. To make it gluten-free, use all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of regular flour. Prefer chicken, beef or lamb? Use any of those instead of the turkey.

Serves 4 to 6 (makes one 10- to 11-inch pie)

Nutrition per serving (using whole milk), based on 6: 347 calories, 29g carbohydrates, 71mg cholesterol, 18g fat, 4g fiber, 19g protein, 5g saturated fat, 263mg sodium, 7g sugar

– From cookbook author Julia Turshen.