Since I ran the recipe for this Pinellas County, FL school cafeteria lunchroom favorite, I’ve heard from more than a dozen readers who fondly remember the dish. Susant T., who attended Starkey Elementary in Pinellas County, FL, in the early 1960s, asked for it first, so Susan: know that you have a lot of grateful cohorts who appreciate your request. Cafeteria-hot-dish-wise, potato turbate is basically a stripped-down version of shepherds pie ( seasoned ground beef baked under a thick layer of whipped (turbated?) potatoes. “That dish is the one we get most requests for when people write in, or do menus for school reunions,” says Dolores McCoy, a longtime nutrition education specialist and menu planner for Pinellas County Schools. While earliest versions of the turbate were sans vegetables, the recipe was updated a few decades ago to include some onion, carrot and celery.
- Meat and Vegetable Filling Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef (chuck)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup fresh, shredded carrots
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour (NOTE: regular unbleached white flour is okay, too)
- 2, .87-ounce packages powdered brown gravy mix (McCormick brand is fine)
- 1 2/3 cups beef stock
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- Fresh cracked black pepper and salt, to taste
- 1 tsp. light soy sauce
- Sprinkle of Worchestershire sauce
- Whipped Potatoes Ingredients
- 3 cups instant mashed potatoes
- To brush on before baking
- 2 Tbsp. margarine, or butter, melted
- Paprika
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In saute pan, brown ground beef. In microwave, combine raw vegetables with 2 Tbsp water; cover and microwave-steam vegetables until tender; about 5 minutes. Drain fat from ground beef. Combine vegetables with beef; sprinkle with flour and seasonings. Stir combine. Stir in powdered beef gravy mix. Add stock. Simmer five minutes until thickened. Spread layer of beef mixture in bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan. Prepared mashed potatoes as directed on package (Choose the method on the box that includes milk and butter). Spread 1/2 of the whipped potatoes over beef. Using a pastry piping bag, top the potatoes with piped potato for more decorative look. Brush top with melted butter; dust lightly with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly brown on top (about 30 minutes.)
28 Comments
Loved the Potato Turbate. Does anyone know the recipe for the hamburger buns served at Lealman Jr. High in Pinellas County back in the 60’s?
Hi Monica, thanks for this stroll down memory lane! As a Pinellas County schools kid in the 1980s (Ponce de Leon Elem.) I fondly remember Potato Turbate.
There’s one particular lunch item I, we, all adored and would to get our hands on: Mexican pizza! The kind we had was shaped like a hexagon, with dark orange cheese and a spicy beef sauce. Pretty simple but oh so good. Any leads? Perhaps Dolores McCoy could be of help?
Thanks again!
Mark H.
🙂 Wowee! I’ll look into it. Thanks, Mark!
Oh my goodness. I lived in pinellis county Florida 43 years ago , and remember this favorite lunchroom meal. We lived in Madeira Beach and were bussed to a school about a half hour away. I always remembered how much I enjoyed this lunch. Thank you
How I irononic that it was a school lunch favorite and that it was from pinellas county. Lol
Remember it all to at Seminole middle school in the late 70’s hard to beat. Would get two lunches that day
That was my Aunt Mary Raffa as head cook!!!!
Lorraine Margulies
I remember this from Belcher Elementary 90s ! Fav
Thanks, I remember the potato turbate being my favorite lunch at SkyCrest elementary school in Clearwater,Fl in the 60s
I went to SkyCrest Elementary School as well. My Mom worked in the cafeteria. (1968-1970) What a great find thinking about the beauty of Florida back then. I am making this dish today. Have a wonderful Holiday
Happy Holidays to you, too!
Favorite lunch of this gal who went to schools in Pinellas in the seventies and eighties! Thank you.
LMAO I have searched for this recipe several times in the past. This morning after just waking up I tried it again. BOOM, there it was! Greco!
John! : ) I have had so many people comment on this recipe. I’m so glad you found your way too it. Enjoy!
Late 60s Lakewood elementary school. My favorite lunch. I’ve made it for years. Still my kids favorite. And they are to young to have had it in school. My first wife’s mom was a lunch lady. When I was in my 20s she would always bring me a Pan home. And the one from the lunchroom is still the best.
I was a Pinellas County student in the 70’s and became a Teacher there in the early 90’s at Clearwater Comprehensive/ Clearwater Discovery/ Clearwater Intermediate. All these posts recall Very Fond memories of our cafeteria manager, MARY DOWD, and her entire staff!! Ms. Mary, as she was called made the children and staff meals that rivaled Grandma’s Best!
Christmas and Thankgiving meals with All the fixin’s including homemade desserts
My best memory is of here preparing a LARGE spread of hand mixed salads, an entire salad bar with…..homemade warm breads for Teacher appreciation week!!
I would love to see Ms Mary Dowd again!❣
” Love Made From Scratch!!”
Antoinette! I love this story 🙂 Kudos to Mary Dowd and all the good food memories! –Monica Kass Rogers
I definitely remember the potato turbate. My mom, Margaret Hargraves was a cafeteria worker at San Jose Elementary. She made the main dish so if you went to San Jose in 1962 and up she made this dish for you!
Thank you so much. I made this last night. First time since the 60’s when I attended Azalea Elementary in St. Pete. I didn’t even know the name of it., so was surprised to find a Pinellas County recipe for it.
My mom, Mary Helen Lamb, was also a lunchroom cook when I attended Lakewood Elementary and Roser Park Elementary in the mid-sixties. This was my favorite lunch dish along with the square ground meat pizza. We always got extra after school when we were waiting for her to get off of work.
I make it all of the time now and everyone at my house loves it so much. I would associate this dish with Shepherd’s Pie which I order in restaurants anytime it’s on the menu.
Does anyone know if Lakewood and Roser Park are still functioning schools? I haven’t lived there since 19991.
Bob Lamb
Wow! So pleased you shared this story 🙂 I hope Lost Recipe Found fans out there may know answer to your question. Good luck! –Monica Kass Rogers
Was one 0f my favorites!! Such were the times when school lunches were home made and you could smell the fresh rolls baking in the mornings. Lived in Treasure Island and went to Gulf Beaches Elementary in St Pete Beach in the late 60’s to early 70’s. I remember a lunch lady there named Mrs Butts. Going through the lunch line, we would ask her what her name was, because we were not allowed to say butt and thought that it was funny to be her name. She would always reply with, “Puddin tane, ask me again and I’ll tell you the same, LOL. The things kids do.
Potato turbate was one of my favorite meals at Safety Harbor middle school in the early 70’s. So glad I found this recipe to make it for dinner. I also loved that apple crisp, if anyone has the recipe , please share. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
Thank you so much for these recipes. I had been looking for the exact potato Turbate recipe for 48 years . My girlfriend found you and i was ecstatic. Turns out I was right , because I was making it for years. But it was great to see it. Thank you so, so , so, much 💖
Thank you SO much for obtaining this receipe. As a young girl in the 60s, we had Potato Turbate at the Safety Harbor Elementary and I’ve been looking everywhere for the original recipe. To all the “Pinellas Home” people; good to see all of you have such a great memory of this school time luncheon.
So pleased! Enjoy! 🙂 –Monica
Hey Monica!.. I’ve been telling my wife for years of this most favorite dish!! I went to Pasadena Elementary school on St.Pete around 1972 – 1976…Always one of my favorites!
She finally googled it and boom! There it was…she was speechless!! 🙂
I was an elementary school principal and that was my favorite lunch!
Enjoyed this at Meadowlawn Jr. High School (1963), and again at Cleawater High School (class of ’67). Also remember those huge, fluffy, home-baked dinner rolls with our meals. Some things we never forget!
Good memories, all! 🙂 –Monica Kass Rogers