This Low Carb Shepherd's Pie with Turkey and Squash is a sweet and savory, fall-inspired take on a popular comfort food dish. Calling for a kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) topping in lieu of a traditional white potato topping makes this version of shepherd's pie lower in carbs while remaining high in deliciousness, with fall flavors bursting from every bite. In addition to being low carb, this shepherd's pie recipe for the Instant Pot or stovetop is FODMAP-aware*, gluten-free and has a Paleo and Whole30 option.
*FODMAP-aware: Kabocha squash, previously listed as FODMAP-free in Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App, has undergone new testing by Monash University. Their findings show that it contains fructans and is now classified as low FODMAP at servings of up to ⅓ cup. Since this recipe exceeds that amount per serving, it may not be suitable for everyone. If you’ve enjoyed this dish or kabocha squash without issues before, this may not be an issue for you. However, if you're sensitive to fructans, you may want to consider limiting the amount of squash you consume to ⅓ cup or 75 grams. Consult your doctor or dietician to discuss these issues before making this recipe.
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Shepherd's Pie Obsessed
If you've been around since the beginning of this blog, you'll know I'm a huge fan of shepherd's pie. This fall-inspired low carb shepherd's pie is the third shepherd's pie recipe I've posted in four years of blogging, but this is the first one that is more blood sugar-friendly.
If you're looking for a more traditional take on shepherd's pie with white potato topping, try my Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie.
If you're not concerned with carbs and are interested in a sweet and savory shepherd's pie, try my Instant Pot Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie, which is not low FODMAP but still super delicious.
Kabocha Squash Topping
This low carb shepherd's pie is loosely inspired by and tastes similar to the sweet potato version mentioned above, but calls for kabocha squash, which tastes similar to a sweet potato, but is low in carbs.
For more information on kabocha squash including where to find it, how to chop it, freeze it, etc., see my Kabocha Squash How-To post.
Although kabocha squash has a tough skin and can be tricky to chop, it is one of my favorite fall foods and is featured in many of my fall recipes, including Roasted Kabocha Squash, Mashed Kabocha Squash, Pumpkin Chili, and Sausage and Fall Vegetables.
Necessary Equipment
Instant Pot
The equipment I use to make this low carb shepherd's pie in the Instant Pot includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
Plus all of the equipment in the "Remaining Equipment" list below.
Stovetop
The equipment I use to make this recipe on the stovetop includes:
- Conventional stovetop
- Large saucepan (mine is 3 quarts)
Plus:
Remaining Equipment (for both cooking methods)
- 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, or a glass baking dish of comparable size
- Oven broiler
- Vegetable steamer basket. The trivet that comes with the Instant Pot isn't ideal as the squash is small enough to fall through.
- Small bowl with water (for washing the leek)
- Fine mesh sieve (for draining and rinsing the mushrooms)
- Sink
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Chopping board and knife
- Plastic spoon or spatula (I love my Instant Pot spatula)
- Vegetable peeler
- Paper towels
- Large spoon
- Potato masher
- Kitchen scale (optional - if your kabocha squash weighs more than 2 pounds)
- Pie spatula, for serving
Ingredients
The ingredients I use to make this Low Carb Shepherd's Pie with Turkey and Squash include:
Squash Topping Ingredients
- Cold water - not an ingredient per se but it goes into the bottom of the pot for steaming the squash. 1 cup if using the 6-quart Instant Pot; 1.5 cups for the 8-quart; and 2 cups of water if making on the stovetop.
- Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), peeled, deseeded, and chopped into 1-inch chunks - see my Kabocha Squash How-To for more information on this ingredient.
- Heavy cream (lactose-free if needed), or coconut cream for Paleo/Whole30
- Butter, or ghee for Paleo/Whole30
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought, optional) - the kabocha squash is pretty sweet on its own without this, but if you want a bit more sweetness and depth-of-flavor, add a bit of spice. It's pumpkin season, after all. I use my own homemade pumpkin spice mix recipe, but store-bought works, too.
Turkey Filling Ingredients
- Garlic-infused olive oil
- Leek greens, finely chopped. If you're not concerned with FODMAPs, you can use white or yellow onion instead.
- Carrot, finely chopped
- Canned sliced mushrooms (canned in brine), drained, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels.
- Ground turkey (or your preferred ground meat). I haven't tested this with other types of ground meat but think it would work well with ground beef, lamb, or chicken, too.
- Fresh sage leaves, finely chopped, or dried sage leaves
- Dried chives
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Fresh sage leaves, for garnish (optional)
Method
The following photos and instructions reflect how to make this low FODMAP low carb shepherd's pie in the Instant Pot only. Stovetop instructions are in the recipe card below.
Pressure Cook
Pour 1 cup of cold water into a 6-quart Instant Pot (1 ½ cups if using an 8-quart Instant Pot) and place vegetable steamer basket inside. Place chopped squash chunks evenly in the vegetable steamer basket. Close the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure release valve to sealing, and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Chop
While the squash is cooking, finely chop the leek, carrots, and fresh sage (if using it - not pictured here). Drain mushrooms in a fine mesh sieve, rinse with cold water, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. This removes the FODMAPs that leach out during the brining process.
Release Pressure
Once the cooking cycle has completed, hit “Cancel” on the Instant Pot and quick release the pressure. Open the lid.
Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl, cover with a plate to keep warm, and set aside.
Sauté Veggies & Brown Turkey
Pour the water out of the inner pot into the sink and wipe the inner pot dry with paper towels. Put the inner pot back into the Instant Pot. Hit the “Sauté” button. Once the display reads "Hot," add the garlic-infused olive oil and swirl the pot to coat the bottom in oil. Add the leeks, carrots, and mushrooms, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the ground turkey, breaking it up into small pieces with a plastic spoon or spatula (I love my Instant Pot spatula), and sauté along with the vegetables until all of the turkey is no longer pink and carrots are fork tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Mash Squash
While the filling is cooking (but returning to stir it every few minutes), return to your bowl of squash. Add the remaining topping ingredients: heavy cream, butter, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (if using it), and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
Taste the squash and adjust the milk, butter, and seasonings as desired. Keep in mind we're trying to achieve a balance between a sweet squash and a savory filling. Cover the squash again with a plate to keep warm.
Add remaining filling ingredients
Once the turkey is brown and the carrots are fork tender, add the sage and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Hit the “Cancel” button on the Instant Pot. Using hot pads, remove the inner pot to a hot pad.
Add remaining filling ingredients: dried chives, salt, and pepper.
Stir until evenly combined.
Assemble & Broil
Preheat broiler, and set the oven rack on the top rung. Spoon the filling from the inner pot to a 10.25-inch cast iron skillet (or a glass baking dish of comparable size).
Spread filling evenly on the bottom of the skillet.
Spoon the squash on top of the filling.
Spread the squash evenly with a spatula to cover the filling.
Optionally, use a fork to create a textural design on the squash topping (oooh, pretty!).
This is totally unnecessary but kind of fun and easier than it looks. It's also easy to cover up mistakes.
Broil the shepherd’s pie for 4-5 minutes, or until the topping is just starting to brown, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Remove and serve
Remove the skillet from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.
FAQs
If you are unable to find kabocha squash, I don't have a suitable low FODMAP substitute for this particular recipe at this time. In my other recipes that call for kabocha squash, I typically say to substitute sweet potato, but that won't work for low FODMAP for this recipe due to the quantity of sweet potato needed (unless you can tolerate mannitol). If you need low FODMAP but can't use kabocha squash, I recommend my low FODMAP Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie that calls for a traditional white potato topping.
I get asked this question so much about my recipes that contain canned mushrooms. With the exception of oyster mushrooms, fresh mushrooms are generally high in FODMAPs, yes. HOWEVER, Monash University tested mushrooms canned in brine and found them to be low in FODMAPs, which they believe is due to FODMAPs leaching out into the brine during the canning process. They recommend rinsing them in cold water prior to cooking to rinse off the leached out FODMAPs.
Related Recipes
Low Carb Shepherd's Pie with Turkey and Squash
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This Low Carb Shepherd's Pie with Turkey and Squash is a sweet and savory, fall-inspired take on a popular comfort food dinner dish. Recipe includes Instant Pot and stovetop instructions. Low Carb, FODMAP-aware (see notes), and gluten-free with Paleo and Whole30 option.
Ingredients
Squash Topping:
- 1 cup cold water (1 ½ cups if using an 8-quart; 2 cups for the stovetop)
- 2 pounds kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin), peeled, deseeded, and chopped into 1-inch chunks*
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (lactose-free if needed), or coconut cream for Paleo/Whole30
- 3 tablespoons butter, or ghee for Paleo/Whole30
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought, optional)*
Turkey Filling:
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- ½ cup leek greens, finely chopped*
- 1 cup carrot (about 1 large), finely chopped
- 10 ounce can sliced mushrooms (canned in brine), drained, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels*
- 1 pound ground turkey (or your preferred ground meat)
- ½ tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fresh sage leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pressure Cook: Pour 1 cup of cold water into a 6-quart Instant Pot (1 ½ cups if using an 8-quart Instant Pot) and place vegetable steamer basket inside. Place chopped squash chunks evenly on the vegetable steamer basket. Close the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure release valve to sealing, and set the timer for 10 minutes.
- Chop: While the squash is cooking, chop the leek, carrots, and fresh sage (if using it), and prepare the mushrooms.
- Release Pressure: Once the cooking cycle has completed, hit “Cancel” on the Instant Pot and quick release the pressure. Open the lid. Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl, cover with a plate to keep warm, and set aside.
- Sauté veggies: Pour the water out of the inner pot into the sink, wipe it completely dry with paper towels, and put it back into the Instant Pot. Hit the “Sauté” button. Once the display reads "Hot," add the garlic-infused olive oil and swirl the pot to coat the bottom in oil. Add the leeks, carrots, and mushrooms, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Brown turkey: Add the ground turkey, breaking up it up into small pieces with a plastic spoon or spatula (I love my Instant Pot spatula), and sauté along with the vegetables until all of the turkey is no longer pink and carrots are fork tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Mash squash: While the filling is cooking (but returning to stir it every few minutes), return to your bowl of squash. Add the remaining topping ingredients: heavy cream, butter, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (if using it - see note), and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste the squash and adjust the milk, butter, and seasonings as desired. Cover the squash again with a plate to keep warm.
- Add remaining filling ingredients: Once the turkey is brown and the carrots are fork tender, add the sage and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Hit the “Cancel” button on the Instant Pot. Using oven mitts, remove the inner pot to a hot pad on the counter. Add remaining filling ingredients: dried chives, salt, and pepper, and stir until evenly combined.
- Assemble and broil: Preheat broiler, and set the oven rack on the top rung. Pour or spoon the filling from the inner pot to a 10.25-inch cast iron skillet (or a glass baking dish of comparable size) and spread evenly on the bottom of the skillet. Spoon the squash on top of the filling and spread evenly with a spatula. Optionally, use a fork to create a textural design on top of the squash. Broil the shepherd’s pie for 4-5 minutes, or until the topping is just starting to brown, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Cool and serve: Remove skillet from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Steam: Pour 2 cups of cold water into a large saucepan (mine is 3-quarts), and place on high heat on the stovetop. Place vegetable steamer basket inside, and lay chopped squash chunks evenly in the basket. Cover and steam until squash has darkened slightly in color (squash should no longer be bright orange) and has a mashable texture, about 20-25 minutes.
- Chop: While the squash is cooking, chop the leek, carrots, and fresh sage (if using it) and prepare the mushrooms.
- Sauté veggies: Place a 10.25-inch cast iron skillet on medium heat on the stovetop. Once hot, add garlic-infused olive oil, and swirl the skillet to coat. Add leek, carrots, and mushrooms, and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Brown turkey: Add ground turkey, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a spatula, and sauté along with the vegetables until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining filling ingredients: Add sage leaves and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining filling ingredients: dried chives, salt, and pepper, and stir until combined. Spread filling evenly in the skillet. Cover with a lid to keep warm and set aside.
- Mash squash: Once the squash has finished steaming, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining topping ingredients: heavy cream, butter, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (if using it - see note), and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste the squash and adjust the milk, butter, and seasonings as desired. Cover the squash with a plate to keep warm.
- Assemble and broil: Preheat broiler and set the oven rack on the top rung. Spoon the squash on top of the filling in the cast iron skillet and spread evenly with a spatula. Optionally, use a fork to create a textural design on top of the squash. Broil the shepherd’s pie for 4-5 minutes, or until the topping is just starting to brown, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Cool and serve: Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool before slicing into 8 pieces and serving.
Notes
- FODMAP-aware: Kabocha squash, previously listed as FODMAP-free in Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App, has undergone new testing by Monash University. Their findings show that it contains fructans and is now classified as low FODMAP at servings of up to ⅓ cup. Since this recipe exceeds that amount per serving, it may not be suitable for everyone. If you’ve enjoyed this dish or kabocha squash without issues before, you might be just fine. However, if you're sensitive to fructans, you may want to consider limiting the amount of squash you consume to ⅓ cup or 75 grams. Consult your doctor or dietician to discuss these issues before making this recipe.
- Kabocha squash: 2 pounds unpeeled equals roughly 1 pound 6-7 ounces peeled and deseeded. I often can only find squashes that are 4 pounds or more, so I chop and freeze the remaining squash, weighing it out on a kitchen scale the next time I use it. Kabocha squash may seem intimidating as it has a tough peel – view my Kabocha Squash How-To for detailed instructions on where to find and how to chop and freeze kabocha squash.
- Pumpkin pie spice - the kabocha squash is fairly sweet on its own without this addition, but if you want to make it a bit sweeter and give it a bit more depth of flavor, add some spice.
- Leek greens: per Monash University’s Low FODMAP Diet App, the dark green leaves of the leek are low FODMAP – see my Low FODMAP Leek and Potato Soup post for instructions on how to clean and prepare leeks for low FODMAP cooking. If you don’t need low FODMAP, you can use a finely chopped small yellow or white onion.
- Canned mushrooms: Monash University’s Low FODMAP Diet App currently lists mushrooms canned in brine, drained and rinsed, as low FODMAP in quantities of up to 75 grams per serving. One 10-ounce (284 milliliters) can of sliced mushrooms, once drained, contains about 162 grams of mushrooms. Across 8 servings, this comes to about 20.25 grams of mushrooms per serving. If you don't have problems with FODMAPs, you could try fresh white mushrooms if you prefer not to use canned; however, I haven't tested this with fresh mushrooms and feel like they would need longer to sauté and create a lot more moisture than would be ideal for shepherd's pie. If you end up trying it, let me know how it went in the comments below!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot / Stovetop
- Cuisine: English-Inspired
Disclaimer: This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or dietary advice. The author is not a medical professional. Nutrition info is an estimate and can vary depending on ingredients and preparation. We follow current guidelines for special diets like low FODMAP, Keto, and Paleo at the time of initial publication, but individual tolerance varies and research is always evolving. It’s up to each reader to check ingredient labels, stay informed with the latest research, and consult their doctor to make informed choices based on their individual needs. Storage times are general recommendations—always follow safe food handling practices. See our Terms of Use for more details.
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