Make The Meat Filling
- Heat oil in a sauté pan and brown the ground meat. Season with salt and pepper, then reserve.
- Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook until evaporated. You can skip this step or deglaze with beef stock if alcohol is an issue.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two, until it changes from bright red to a deep red color. Cooking the tomato paste for a couple of minutes enhances its flavors and brings forward its underlying sweetness.
- Add the flour and cook for a minute, to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Stir in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, cooking until thickened. Then, add the reserved beef and any resulting juices.
- Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Add the frozen veggies and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Whats The Difference Between Shepherds Pie And Cottage Pie
Its all in the meat. Shepherds pie contains minced lamb .
Whereas Cottage Pie contains mince beef .
Whilst we are getting our pie names sorted out Cumberland Pie refers to any type of meat pie topped with mashed potatoes and then a layer of bread crumbs. Whilst not strictly traditional a sprinkling of grated cheese over your mashed potato on both a Shepherds and Cottage Pie is delicious.
Assemble The Shepherds Pie
- Top the meat filling with the mashed potatoes.
- Drizzle melted butter and sprinkle some more shredded cheese.
- Place the pan on a baking sheet, that way if anything bubbles over it wont make a mess out of your oven!
- Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes. If desired, pop under the broiler for some extra color!
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
You May Like: Chicken Pot Pie Campbell’s Soup Recipe
More Tips For Making Stovetop Shepherds Pie
Can I use store-bought mashed potatoes?
Shhhh.yes, and just between you and me, I may have done this a time or two when I wanted to save time. I recommend the mashed potatoes you find in the refrigerated section but if you love the kind in the box, you do you!
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yep! The only thing I would do at the last minute is put the potatoes on the beef mixture. But you can make both those things ahead of time and warm them up in the microwave or on your stovetop.
Im telling you what.comfort food in a bowl. To the max.
This is also a great way to use up any leftover mashed potatoes .
And my last piece of advice? Eat it with a soup spoon. Happiness!
OTHER SHEPHERDS PIE RECIPES WE LOVE!
Recommended Reading: Key Lime Pie Review
Ingredients You Need For Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe
To sum up, you will need only few ingredients for the Shepherds pie. Potatoes check. Any vegetables in your pantry and freezer like carrots, celery, peas, corn Check. The only thing you will need, if you dont have leftover mince put it on your shopping list.
Moreover, you will need few spices and a Worcestershire sauce . If you dont have Worcestershire sauce, dont panic, you can add soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic to your taste.
Also you may have a stick of butter and few tablespoons of milk in your fridge. Thats it!
Hope that you will enjoy this British meat pie with your family!
Check also our Irish Colcannon recipe to make tasty potato mash and Rigatoni pasta bake with beef. These main dishes can be followed by a rich Irish dessert Baileys cheesecake.
Easy Shepherds Pie How To Make Shepherds Pie
Don’t Miss: Hardee’s Apple Pie
Easy Shepherds Pie Variations:
Want to customize your shepherds pie recipe? Feel free to:
- Make it vegetarian. To make a vegetarian shepherds pie, just omit the meat and double the amount of mushrooms. And of course, use veggie stock instead of beef stock, and vegan Worcestershire sauce .
- Make it vegan. Do the above, plus use vegan butter, milk and cream cheese in your mashed potatoes.
- Make it gluten-free. Nix the flour and whisk 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch together with the stock before adding it to the sauce. Also be sure to double-check, as always, that all of your other ingredients are certified GF.
- Use sweet potatoes: For an amazing sweet+savory combo, feel free to use sweet potatoes instead of Russets or Yukon golds in your mashed potatoes. So good!!!
Tips For Making Shepherds Pie
There are a few stages to making Shepherds Pie, but its a straightforward recipe. Theres just two little things that you dont see in most recipes, little things that bugged me:
Cool the filling before topping with potato: It thickens and makes it easier to spread the potato across the top and it stops the potato weeping into the filling
Creamier mashed potato = easier to spread and just an all round better eating experience. I just dont like dry, very firm mash. When I break through the mash, I want it to be borderline collapsing, rather than being able to cut cleanly through it like cake.
I stress again these are little things that bug me, so feel free to by-pass them! Nagi x
PS One last time Cottage Pie is made with beef. Shepherds Pie is made with lamb!
Also Check: Muslims Bean Pie Recipes
Nutritional Basics Of Shepherds Pie
A shepherds pie has two main components: minced meat in vegetable gravy and mashed potatoes. Traditional shepherds pie is high in all of the macronutrientsprotein, fat, and carbs. Meat supplies protein and fat, butter and heavy cream supply more fat, and potatoes, flour , and vegetables supply carbs.
While it differs based on the recipe, one-sixth of a traditional shepherds pie has about 50 grams of carbs, 40 grams of fat, and 35 grams of protein.
Get The Recipe For Nicole’s Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
Directions
Read Also: Impossible Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Temperature Tips For Making Shepherds Pie
When it comes to shepherds pie, the temperature is key. When cooking, the best time and temperature for shepherds pie is 375-400 degrees for about half an hour usually just enough time for the potatoes to brown a little. For those looking for a little more precision, you can check the inside temperature using something like a ThermPro Meat Thermometer the ideal temperature is 165 degrees. If you are curious as to what temp to cook shepherds pie, go with your recipes directions sometimes the temperature may change depending on the ingredients used.
It should be noted that some recipes will cause you to question what to temp to cook shepherds pie this is normal. In general, more liquid ingredients should decrease the temperature a little bit as should ingredients that require a little extra cooking. Conversely, more solid ingredients or ingredients that require less oven time will increase the temperature. Again, if there are any questions as to what temp for shepherds pie, it is best to consult the recipe in question.
When it comes to reheating the casserole, the oven temp for shepherds pie is just 350 degrees. If you are cooking from a frozen state, it can take an hour again, using the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer, check the inside temperature to ensure that it is about 165 degrees.
How This Pie Is Different From Traditional Shepherds Pie
The shepherds pie of my upbringing features a hefty portion of meat, with vegetables playing a supporting role, and a thick topping of buttery mashed potatoes. My updated version bumps up the ratio of vegetables to meat and calls for extra-lean ground beef, which is the leanest option in the butcher case.
For the mashed potatoes, the recipe swaps in olive oil for butter, which means more heart-healthy fats in every bite. The sum total of these swaps is a lighter dish with no shortcuts on flavor.
You May Like: Chicken Pot Pie Campbells Soup Recipe
More Vegetarian Casseroles To Try
Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese, scallions, and parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
Sally Vargas
Spoon the potatoes over the vegetables in the baking dish. Use a fork to make swirls in the potatoes to create peaks and valleys. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/3 cup grated cheese.
Sally Vargas
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and the potatoes are golden. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Suggestions And Substitutions For Shepherds Pie
A true shepherds pie is actually done with lamb, not beef . Cottage pie is the term traditionally applied to one made with beef.
Regardless of what you call it, you can make this with basically any type of ground meat you like, knowing that they range widely in fat content. Ground lamb, turkey, bison, venison, and beefor half and half of any of the aboveare all fair game.
Nothing beats fresh vegetables and cheese youve grated on the spot to make this recipe, but if youre short on time, here are a few shortcuts:
- Swap in frozen mixed vegetables for the carrots, celery, and peas. Use two and a half cups and add them to the dish when it instructs you to add the peas.
- Use pre-shredded sharp cheddar. Take a gander at the ingredients, since some brands use additives to keep the cheese from clumping. Less is more, if you ask me.
- Buy screw-top wine. Every little bit counts when it comes to saving time. Plus, fussing with a bottle opener isnt my favorite pastime. You dont need fancy wine for this anyway, just something dry and drinkable.
Don’t Miss: Muslim Navy Bean Soup
Shepherds Pie Vs Cottage Pie
So What exactly is the difference between shepherds pie and cottage pie?
Traditionally shepherd pie is made with lamb mince, whereas cottage pie is made with beef mince. I tend to make and serve both with the same sides and I tend to make both in a similar way.
I have a great recipe for Cottage Pie too.
How Do You Reheat A Pie In The Oven
Heating Fully Baked Pies: Pre- heat your oven to 350 degrees. Put the pie, turnovers, or pastry on a cookie sheet on foil or parchment, and lightly cover with foil. For a 9-inch pie, heat for 15-20 minutes. A 5-inch pie will take about 12-15 minutes and turnovers will take about 10-12 minutes.
No related posts.
Read Also: Sonic Banana Cream Pie Shake Recipe
What Is Shepherds Pie
It is a classic meat and potatoes dish literally, in this case, as it is essentially a meat filling covered by a layer of mashed potatoes. The dish is popular because it is simple to make, is fulfilling, and if prepared correctly can be reasonably healthy. The biggest question is what the perfect time and temp for shepherds pie should be for the meal. While this can vary a little, in general, the best serving temp is around 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
At its simplest, the casserole is some sort of meat sauce covered with mashed potatoes. While there are not that many variations on the mashed potatoes part, although you could add some spices and cheese to them, the meat sauce allows for a wide variety of options. At the very least, you can add almost any vegetable into the mix and it usually works. You can also use a tomato-based sauce or use standard meat gravy. The basic recipe is very forgiving of variants and it is even encouraged.
There are even some more exotic variations. While the default is ground beef, you can substitute any ground meat, from turkey to lamb, as desired. You can use a chili mixture in place of the standard meat sauce. While the most basic recipe calls for corn and green beans, you can use virtually any vegetables with the meat sauce. There is even an option for the top you can use a more doughy top instead of the potatoes. In short, it is something with which you can have some serious fun and can be used as the basis of a wide variety of options.
Prep This Ahead Of Time
If you plan to make this ahead of time, I suggest keeping the mashed potatoes and filing separate at first. Store them away in the fridge in sealed containers. When youre ready to bake, let the potatoes and filling sit at room temperature to soften before assembling. Then, pop it right into the oven for baking.
When it comes time to freeze leftovers, just place them in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. This could be a great option if you also plan to meal prep this on a Sunday night. Just bake it, divide it into 6 sections, and freeze it!
Don’t Miss: Entenmann Coconut Custard Pie Recipe
What Is Shepherd’s Pie
Think of a deep-dish casserole filled with ground or minced meat, savory gravy, and chopped vegetables, all topped with mashed potatoes and baked until bubbling hot inside and golden brown across the top. This classic comfort food dish goes by different names in various countries where you’ll find local versions of shepherd’s pie: “hachis Parmentier” in France or “pastel de papas” in Chile, for example. You’ll also find it called “cottage pie,” but we’ll get into that next.