Optavia Individual Shepherd's Pie Lean & Green Meal (With Smashed Potato Fueling)

An individual shepherd's pie & salad
make a complete Lean & Green meal.

Ingredients:

four 1 1/3- 1 1/2 cup capacity ramekins or oven safe bowls

olive or avocado oil cooking spray

20 ounces ground turkey, beef, bison or chicken

1 cup chopped leeks

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Victoria (or other low carb brand) marinara sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3/4 to 1 cup water or vegetable broth

4 smashed potato fuelings (creamy garlic or sour cream & onion flavor)**

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon lowfat cream cheese, at room temperature

4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

2 cups salad greens

1 cup cherry or grape tomato halves

4 tablespoons Walden Farms 0 calorie dressing of choice

Method:

Preheat oven to 400*. Lightly spray the ramekins with cooking spray and set aside on a baking sheet or pan with sides.

Brown the meat in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Drain fat from the meat set aside. Add the leeks, celery and bell pepper to the skillet and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the cooked meat to the skillet. Stir in the marinara sauce, pepper, Worcestershire and water (or broth). Bring to boil. Simmer over medium low heat until liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Divide the meat mixture evenly between the four ramekins. (about 1 1/4 cups per ramekin)

Mix each individual envelope of smashed potatoes with 1/2 cup hot water and 4 teaspoons of the cream cheese. Stir until all of the ingredients are well blended. Spread over the top of a meat filled ramekin. Repeat with remaining fuelings and meat filled ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings. If desired, garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon of chives. For a complete Lean & Green meal, add a 1/2 cup of salad greens, 1/4 of tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of dressing to each serving plate.

Each serving (with salad) equals: 1 lean, 3 greens & 2 1/4 condiments

Nutritional info per serving (with ground turkey meat & a salad), approximately: 576.32 calories ~ 30.62 grams fat ~ 28.5 grams carbs ~ 22.25 grams net carbs ~ 50.47 grams protein

**If preferred, omit the salad,  and top the meat mixture with 3/4 cup of cauliflower mash  instead of a potato fueling.

Notes: This meal was a huge hit with the entire family and no one guessed that they were eating an Optavia potato fueling! (For people who are not following an Optavia plan, regular mashed potatoes can be used on top of the meat mixture.)