How Long Can I Keep A Cooked Shepherds Pie In The Fridge
Freshly baked shepherd s pie will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Can you freeze shepherd s pie? Yes, to freeze: wrap shepherd s pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in heavy-duty freezer bag.
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The Best Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe An easy chocolate chip cookie recipe made in minutes. These are the best homemade chocolate chip cookies ever!
Theres nothing better than chocolate chip cookies from scratch! A warm, fresh chocolate chip cookie with a big glass of milk is comfort food at its finest.
Ive tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years. I keep finding that many of the recipes have at least one long wait time. They require you to either wait a couple of hours to bring the butter and eggs to room temperature, or wait for the dough to chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Sometimes both.
Im too impatient! I want to be able to relax on my couch and suddenly decide I need some homemade, soft, and chewy chocolate chip cookies. Then, have them baking in the oven in just a few minutes!
Key Steps For Easy Shepherds Pie
- Buy some shortcuts. I actually find chopping to be quite therapeutic, but when it comes to shepherds pie, peeling and chopping carrots is the last thing I want to spend my time on. Instead, opt for a bag of mixed vegetables from the freezer.
- Focus your efforts on the potatoes. You can totally make shepherds pie with store-bought mashed potatoes and you should if youre in an especially big hurry. But in the time it takes to make the beef filling, you can chop four large russets and cook them until tender. The resulting mashed potatoes will have more flavor and a better texture than store-bought.
- Add a yolk to the potatoes for texture and structure. Another benefit to making the mashed potatoes from scratch: you can stir in an egg yolk. Just one yolk makes the mash ultra-creamy, and also helps the potatoes form a crispy crust in the oven.
- Brown the beef in the same skillet youll serve from. This is key to the ease of this recipe. Use a large oven-safe skillet to brown the beef for the pie cast iron is best, if youve got it. Once the beef is brown, youll add your frozen vegetables and a few other ingredients to make a quick gravy, which is the base of the pie.
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How To Make Shepherd’s Pie In A Pressure Cooker
When I first came across this recipe, I was puzzled. Maybe I hadn’t had my coffee yet, but I imagined tossing ground beef, veggies, and a few whole potatoes into the Instant Pot and then lifting off the lid to reveal a table-ready Shepherd’s Pie topped with mashed potatoes.
In reality, there are a few more steps involved — though not many!
Coco has you start by prepping the filling using the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Then you place a tall steamer rack in the pot and place the peeled potatoes on top.
Then the lid goes on and everything pressure cooks together. At the end of cooking, the potatoes are perfectly cooked and ready to be mashed with milk.
For a traditional casserole-style shepherd’s pie, you transfer the filling to an 8×8 pan, top with the mashed potatoes, and broil until the top is golden. You can also serve this in bowls by scooping out some filling and topping it with a generous dollop of mashed potatoes. So easy!
Shortcut Shepherds Pie Recipe
Can you freeze Shepherds Pie? A Shepherds Pie is the perfect make ahead food. Once your pie is assembled you can chill and then freeze for up to one month. It can also be cooked from frozen. To bake from frozen, cook at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins until piping hot in the centre. Flash under the grill to brown, if needed.)
Beef Shepherds Pie. Our classic shepherds pie is made with seasoned beef, carrots, and corn in a rich, savory gravy all topped with mashed potatoes. This meal is made with no artificial flavors and no artificial colors. See ingredients, nutrition, and other product information here. Smartlabel Info. Buy Now.
Bake and eat the shepherds pie within two to three months. After that time it will remain edible, but its flavor and quality will begin to diminish. Leftover Shepherds Pie Step 1 Prepare and bake the shepherds pie as you normally would. When youve finished serving the meal, set your casserole dish in a well-ventilated location to cool.
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What To Serve With Shepherds Pie
Generally, shepherds pie is a complete meal in and of itself. There is a protein in the meat sauce, the mashed potatoes provide the starch, and there are vegetables included in most recipes this makes it an ideal meal all by itself. However, should you wish to include something alongside the casserole, there are some intriguing options. An obvious option is some sort of dark brown gravy, which adds some needed moisture to the potatoes. Salad is not a bad idea, especially something like an apple salad although a green salad works. Vegetables work as well, especially green beans, mushy peas, and most roots, such as parsnips, carrots, and even turnips.
Shepherds pie is an excellent meal, It does not take much to prepare it and it hits almost every need in a meal: It has meat, carbs, and comes with a variety of different nutrients. It is great for anyone in need of some extra energy, especially growing kids. Just remember to check the temperature before serving it is advised that you purchase a ThermPro meat thermometer to make sure that the meal is at 165 degrees. It makes for a great meal, and there are a lot of options to explore, so have some fun cooking it!
Guy Mitchell
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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!
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How To Make It Ahead
You can easily prepare your Shepherds Pie ahead of time for an easy make-ahead dish perfect for busy weeknights. Prep your Shepherds Pie all the way without baking. Cover well with foil or wrap and place into the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350º, remove the wrap from the dish and bake until heated throughout, about 25 30 minutes.
Heres my Shepherds Pie recipe. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.
Layer In The Filling Mash The Potatoes And Make This Classic Shepherds Pie
Layer the meat and vegetables into a casserole dish that has been lightly greased, ideally with olive oil. Now, remove the potatoes from the boiling water and let them cool for five to ten minutes. Then, remove the skin and mash the potatoes.
Of this whole classic shepherds pie recipe, Lee says: Biggest challenge: mashing the potatoes. I like using a sieve for the smoothest potatoes, but you can use a ricer or mash them by hand with a spoon. Either way, its a bit of a workout, but do not blend or beat russet potatoes!
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat filling.
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Say Hi To Coco Morante
One last treat for all you readers out there: I thought it would be fun for you to get to know Coco a little more. Here’s a quick Q& A with the author herself!
1. How many Instant Pots do you own?
Right now, four. I’ve also given some to friends and family as I’ve upgraded or received new units for review. Currently I have two 6-quart models , as well as 3-quart and 8-quart pots.
2. Whats one recipe from this book that you really want people to try and fall in love with?
Cincinnati Chili . I adapted the recipe from a stovetop version shared with me by my friend Diana Pray. It’s full of spices, including a healthy dose of cinnamon — the Midwestern-meets-Greek flavor is so unique and delicious. You have to try it !
3. What three recipes from this book are best if you just got your first Instant Pot?
Risotto , because it’s so easy you won’t believe it. Split Pea Soup , because it tastes like my grandma’s did — I’m transported back to her kitchen when I eat a bowl. And Succotash — most all the ingredients come from the pantry or freezer, so you can make a hearty, nutritious vegetable side dish any time. Those are all really straightforward recipes that don’t require you to buy additional accessories, so you can make them right when you take your Instant Pot out of the box.
4. Latest food obsession?
5. Three ingredients that are always in your pantry?
Nutritional yeast, almond flour, and San Marzano-style canned tomatoes.
7. What are you working on now?
Thanks, Coco!
Can I Make Shepherd’s Pie Ahead Of Time
- Absolutely! Simply assemble it up to the baking step, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to heat it up, you may need to increase the baking time since it will be cold. Try baking it covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, uncover and bake for 20 more, and then broil if desired.
- If cooking from frozen, let the baking dish warm up a bit on the counter so that it doesn’t break. Or use these disposable foil baking pans!
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New Cookbook: The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook
This is absolutely my new favorite way to make Shepherd’s Pie, but there are plenty more recipes in this book that I’m excited to try.
I’ve actually already made the Sweet Potatoes Stuffed With Black Beans and Quinoa. Verdict: phenomenal. I love having this easy, meat-free meal in my back pocket.
A few that are next on my list:
- French Toast Casserole
- Hoisin-Glazed Spareribs
- Caramelized Onion Dip
Coco sprinkles her recipes with useful tips and suggestions for substitutions, which are all very useful for cooks like me who employ a mix of roughly 80% “follow the recipe” and 20% “wing it.”
Reading through the book, I also appreciate how straightforward and approachable all the recipes feel — though of course, this shouldn’t come as a surprise since this is why I love featuring her recipes here on Simply Recipes as well! With its mix of basic recipes and recipes to make for dinner, I think this book would be a good one for new Instant Pot users and die-hard fans alike.
My Easy Shepherds Pie
To make my Shepherds Pie, I start by peeling and cubing my potatoes to make the mashed potato topping. I cook them potatoes in just enough water to cover them completely, plus about an inch in a heavy bottomed sauce pan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. I melt my butter in a saucepan and then add in my half and half. Youll heat your butter and half and half until just simmering, making sure not to allow it to overheat or curdle.
Once they have become fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, I drain them well and then add them back into the Dutch oven. I mash them using a potato masher until smooth and then slowly stir in my warmed half and half and butter and continue to mash until creamy. If you are including roasted garlic or the cheddar cheese , then stir that into your mashed potatoes at this point along with your salt and pepper. In a pinch, you can also use Stone House Seasoning if you are short on time for roasting your garlic. It works like a charm!
Meanwhile, you will also want to be preparing the meat filling for your Shepherds Pie.
Top your meat filling with the mashed potato topping. Top with pieces of butter and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
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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.
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.
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Reheating Shepherds Pie From Your Freezer
If you have shepherds pie stored in your freezer rather than your fridge, there is good news: the reheating in the oven process is almost identical to the process you would follow when reheating from the fridge, which is fairly simple.
Basically, you have two options for reheating shepherds pie from your freezer:
Option 1: Thaw the shepherds pie in your fridge the night before you plan on reheating it, then follow the steps outlined above for reheating shepherds pie in the oven from your fridge.
Note: Do not thaw your shepherds pie in cold water instead of the fridge
Option 2: Follow the steps listed below. Note: These are almost identical to the steps for reheating shepherds pie from your fridge, the only difference is we are baking the shepherds pie for twice as long. .
Note: Generally, thawing in the fridge before heating will lead to food heating most evenly, however placing it straight into the oven is the best thing to do if you dont have time to thaw.
For reheating shepherds pie in the oven straight from the freezer:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Step 2: Remove shepherds pie from freezer and remove lid or cover
Step 3: Place shepherds pie into an oven-friendly container. You can use a cast iron pan or a baking dish such as a casserole or baking pan.
Step 4: Cover the shepherds pie with tin or aluminum foil. This is essential, as this will keep all of the moisture of your shepherds pie from evaporating.
Step 6: Set a timer for 60 minutes.