Shepherd’s Pie. One of my family’s very favorite cozy-winter-night dishes and my main go-to for meal blessings (think meal-train meals). In fact, our family has an inside joke that it can actually heal! This came about when I made it for a dear friend of ours that was recovering from heart surgery and the next morning I received this wonderful text message from him:
Hi Nanette. Thanks so much for dinner yesterday. It was awesome. In fact, I have to log my weight, blood pressure and temperature every day. Well, I’ve lost weight every day since my surgery until this morning. At dinner last night I went back for seconds and even a small thirds. And it showed up in my weight this morning. So good!!! Thank you. You are appreciated.
When I shared this with my family, my oldest declared: “Mom, you’re just like the mom from Encanto whose meals heal people!” And since then, it’s been known as “the meal that heals.”
Ingredients
Now, we casually call this dish “Shepherds Pie” in my house, mainly because of tradition that has been handed down and because the name is more widely known, but the truth is that it technically would be considered a “Cottage Pie.” As the name suggests, Shepherd’s Pie is made from ground lamb, whereas the same recipe, but made with ground beef, would be called Cottage Pie. Therefore, if you’d like to make a TRUE Shepherds Pie, just swap out the ground beef for ground lamb!
Further, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Frozen Peas & Carrots
- Shredded Cheese
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Beef Stock and/or Red Wine
- Dried Rosemary & Basil
- Salt & Pepper
- Potatoes
- Nutmeg
- Egg
- Heavy Cream
Method
Potato “Crust”
First, I make the crust by peeling and cutting up the potatoes into squares – about a half inch each. Next I add them to a pot with hot water and boil until they’re soft enough to mash. I pour off the water and add them to a bowl.
Next, I give them an initial “mashing” (if you will) and then add the ingredients for the crust (cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg & egg yolk). I continue to mash and mix it in until there are no lumps left. (Note: if you don’t have a masher, you can also use an electric hand mixer.)
Lastly, I taste the potatoes and add additional salt if needed (Note: don’t skip this step, especially if you’re following the recipe by the number of potatoes rather than weighing them).
Filling
For the filling, I start by browning the ground meat in a skillet and then adding the onion and garlic, sautéing until the onions are caramelized. Next, I add the salt, pepper, rosemary and basil and mix well until I can really smell the aroma coming through. Then, I mix the liquid ingredients (worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and beef stock/red wine) and let it simmer for 2 minutes. At this point, I check the consistency of the filling and if I want it a little more saucy, I add a splash or two more of stock and/or wine. Lastly, I mix in the frozen peas and carrots and immediately remove from the heat.
Assembly
To assemble the pie, I spray a baking dish with cooking spray and spread half of the potato mixture on the bottom of the dish.
Next, I spread the entire ground meat mixture over the potatoes evenly.
Then, I spread the remaining potato mixture over the top of the meat layer and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top.
Lastly, I bake it at 350F for about 30-40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and a little crispy.
Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)
Ingredients
Potato "Crust"
- 2½ lb (about 8-10) Golden Potatoes peeled and diced into half-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Filling
- 1.5 lbs Ground Beef or Ground Lamb, to make it Shepherd's Pie
- 1 Onion diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tbsp Dried Basil
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ cup Beef Stock (more if you want the filling on the saucy side)
- ¼ cup Red Wine optional
- 1 cup Frozen Mixed Peas & Carrots
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese grated
Instructions
Potato "Crust"
- Peel and cut the potatoes into half inch squares. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes, letting them boil until cooked through. Drain, return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher until there are no more lumps. You can also whip them with a hand mixer if you prefer this method or do not have a masher.
- Add the cream, egg yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the mashed potatoes and mix all together very well. Add additional salt to taste if needed (don’t skip this step, especially if you’re following the recipe by the number of potatoes rather than weighing them).
Filling
- Brown the ground beef in a little oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onions are caramelized.
- Add the salt, pepper, rosemary and basil and mix well. Add tomato paste, worcestershire sauce and beef stock/red wine and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes before mixing in the frozen peas and carrots.
Assembling the Pie
- Evenly spread half of the mashed potatoes on the bottom of a greased, 2 quart baking dish. Spread the filling over the potato layer and then spread the remaining potatoes over the filling layer. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake at 350℉ for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese on top is browned. Enjoy with a fresh salad.
