Meat and Potato Shepherd's Pie (family recipe)
This traditional casserole recipe is a one-dish wonder that's packed with lamb (or ground beef), mashed potatoes, veggies and a saucy gravy that makes it a complete meal. It's old-fashioned comfort food that is great reheated and can be frozen. Use ground lamb and call it cottage pie.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the mashed potatoes:
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons grated cheese Parmesan, sharp cheddar or Asiago are my choices
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the meat filling:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 pound ground lamb or ground beef and make cottage pie
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup broth or stock beef, chicken or vegetable
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup freshly cooked or frozen vegetables corn, peas and carrots
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives green onions or parsley, for serving
Instructions
Mashed potatoes:
- Put 2 pounds potatoes in a large pot with salted water. Boil until tender but not mushy, drain the water and mash until smooth.
- Add ⅓ cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons grated cheese, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon butter and stir until melted and the ingredients are integrated. Reserve.
- Have ready a 7x11-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Or similar in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180°C).
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and add ½ cup chopped yellow onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring. Then add 2 garlic cloves, minced, and sauté for 1 more minute being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Increase the heat to medium and add 1 pound ground lamb. Break it up and cook everything together for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase to high heat if it's too watery and not browning lightly. Drain any excess fat that might've rendered. You want a moist mixture but not overly greasy.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the meat and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the flour doesn't stick.
- Add 1 cup broth or stock, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. If you want a little heat, you can add other spices or herbs to taste, like thyme or spicy paprika.
- Stir and cook everything together for 6-7 minutes until the broth thickens and you have a gravy sauce.
- Add 1 cup freshly cooked or frozen vegetables, thawed and drained if frozen, and cook for a minute or two more, stirring.
- Place a thin layer of mashed potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the meat filling on top of the potatoes.
- Cover with the rest of the mashed potatoes, smoothing the top to make an even layer. You can make ridges with a fork or leave it smooth.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve hot, sprinkled with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives .
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for 4 days. Reheat before eating.
Notes
Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Potatoes: look for starchy potatoes such as russet, Idaho or Yukon gold.
Reheating: keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes may change slightly after refrigerating or freezing and reheating, but the flavor should remain intact. If you find the pie too dry after reheating, you can add a small drizzle of milk or broth to moisten it before serving. Always ensure that reheated shepherd's pie reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to ensure food safety.
