Ingredients In Cottage Pie
Heres the basic list of ingredients youll need in order to make this simple Cottage Pie Recipe. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground Beef or use lamb for a traditional Shepherds Pie
- Onion Soup Mix
- Cheese optional, but highly recommended
How To Prepare Ahead Of Time
One of the greatest things about this Cottage Pie recipe is that its great for meal prepping! Transfer the ground beef mixture to a casserole dish , and top with potatoes and cheese. Let it cool completely before covering.
Place in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months!
Its a great meal to make and bring to someone who is sick or just had a baby. They just pop it in the oven and bake.
PRO TIP: Double up the recipe and store half in the freezer for a rainy day when you dont want to have to make dinner.
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat your oven to 375F. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil until tender. In a skillet, sauté the onion. Add in the ground beef and brown it.
Stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato paste, and flour, and cook until incorporated, stirring constantly. Add in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and salt, and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it thicken.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream, butter, garlic, and salt & pepper and warm it over medium heat until the butter has melted. Drain the potatoes, and add the cream mixture over top. Mash well.
Add in the frozen mixed vegetables to the skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat and veggie mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish and spread evenly with a spatula.
Add the mashed potatoes over top in a uniform layer. Use a fork to rake the mashed potatoes for texture. Bake and enjoy!
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Ultimate Shepherds Pie With Beef And Pork
Thanks for sharing! You rock!
This tasty Ultimate Shepherds Pie with Beef and Pork is a hearty all-in-one meal! This recipe uses both ground beef and pork and a savory brown gravy. This is a comfort food meal perfect to celebrate St. Patricks Day or any Sunday dinner.
You wont be able to get enough of this yummy recipe! Its all things good in one casserole! The brown gravy makes it so yummy. It is a great use of leftover mashed potatoes and a good make ahead casserole for parties or to freeze.
Our family loves Shepherds Pie! It is a great comfort food with cheddar cheese topped homemade mashed potatoes, peas, and ground meat. This recipe is made with a combination of ground beef and ground pork. Whats not to love?
Sometimes, its hard to choose which to make on St. Patricks Day- this Shepherds Pie or Corned Beef & Cabbage because theyre both so tasty.
Can You Freeze Cooked Lasagna
Yes! In fact, you can freeze most casseroles unbaked, or bake them first, then freeze.
Why choose one over the other? Convenience, mainly. You might have time to put a casserole together, but not time to bake and cool it. In that case, freeze it unbaked.
The advantage of baking and cooling lasagna or other casseroles before freezing is how it cuts down on oven time the day or serving. Youre essentially reheating the frozen casserole, which shaves valuable minutes off the baking you need to do to serve it.
Two very important notes: Dont freeze raw meat in uncooked casseroles. For food safety, you want it to be cooked first. And always cool baked casseroles completely before freezing them.
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Shepherds Pie Vs Cottage Pie
For those who dont know the difference, both Shepherds and Cottage Pies are made with meat, gravy, and usually vegetables, and covered with potatoes. Generally, Shepherds Pie is made with lamb, Cottage Pie with beef. Though the term Cottage Pie was used as a blanket term for all meat/potato pies for about 100 years before people started calling the version with lamb Shepherds Pie.
That said, I dont think most people make that distinction here in America. Every Shepherds Pie Ive ever been served, except those Ive had in the UK, have been made with beef, and when I was doing research for this post, no one I asked had any idea what Cottage Pie was.
And since Id like the people in the US who enjoy Shepherds Pie to be able to find this Shepherds Pie, thats what Im going with.
Classic Beef Shepherd’s Pie
Talk about satisfying. Ground beef, vegetables, and gravy are baked under pillowy mashed potatoes. If it’s not yet already, this will soon be a family favorite recipe.
Talk about satisfying. Ground beef, vegetables, and gravy are baked under pillowy mashed potatoes. If it’s not yet already, this will soon be a family favorite recipe.
- 45
- 1-1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots blend
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2-1/2 to 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese
Cooking:
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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.
Why Is It Called Shepherds Pie
The name Shepherds Pie actually comes from England a few centuries ago and they used the term to define a dish made of minced meat with potatoes on top.
It was called Shepherds Pie if it was made with lamb and they actually called the dish Cottage Pie if it was made with beef.
So I guess if we are going to get technical, this recipe is for Cottage Pie.
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Ingredients For Deviled Eggs:
Note* The printable step by step recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- 6 large hard boiled eggs
- 3 Tablespoons mayonaise
- 1-2 teaspoons dill pickle juice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
I always start with 1 teaspoon of pickle juice. Then, I taste the filling. If it needs a little extra saltiness and tanginess, I add another teaspoon of pickle juice.
If you dont have or dont like pickle juice, white vinegar or red wine vinegar are good substitutes. However, you may want to add a pinch of salt to the filling if you use vinegar instead of pickle juice.
Bakeware For Freezing Casseroles
Metal and ceramic are the best materials for freezing. You can use sturdy pans or disposable foil ones. If using foil pans, keep a tray under the casserole for support until its frozen solid. This will prevent the pan from buckling under the weight of heavier lasagnas or casseroles.
Avoid freezing glass dishes. The temperature shock from a chilly freezer to a blazing-hot oven can shock glass dishes and cause them to shatter or crack. Oh, but Ive done it a hundred times and not had an issue, you may be thinking. I thought the same thing, too, until it happened to me. Not only is it startling you lose a dish and your dinner. Best to play it safe and stick to ceramic or metal.
One 9 x 13-inch pan equals two 8 x 8-inch pans. If you dont have a ton of mouths to feed, consider spitting recipes for one 9 x 13 pan into two 8 x 8pans. This route is especially good for households with eaters who dont adore leftovers. An 8 x 8 pan also takes less time to heat for serving.
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How To Make Shepherds Pie With Ground Beef
If everyone called this recipe Shepherds Pie that made with lamb meat.But, Today I am going to tell you how to make shepherds pie with ground beef,so that you could use ground beef or ground lamb. It may seem quite complicated but it is not true. You will see. I explain step by step how to prepare a delicious shepherds pie.
Ingredients for shepherds pie
- 650 g ground beef or leg of lamb minced
- 3.5 pounds potatoes peeled and quartered.
- 3 stalks celery
- Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation the base of Shepherds Pie with Ground Beef and Vegetables
Preparation of Potato Topping in English style
Assemble The Shepherd’s Pie In A Baking Dish
There are still a few more things you will need to add to the skillet. Begin with the tomato paste, broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine with the meat and veggies. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
Next, add in the frozen corn and peas. Then, you can transfer the ground beef and vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Put the mashed potatoes on top of the ground beef and smooth them out in an even layer.
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How To Wrap Casseroles
In short: foil, foil, and more foil. Dont skimp on the foil. A thorough job wrapping the casserole ensures it doesnt get freezer burned. As a bonus, you can re-use the foil to protect the casserole from browning too much as it bakes.
Im not a fan of wrapping lasagna and casseroles in plastic wrap, as it tends to stick to frozen sauces and isnt oven-safe.
Be sure to label and date the dish.
Tips For A Perfect Shepherds Pie
Healthy life-Save 70 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 5 grams of saturated fat per serving by using extra-lean ground beef, Fat Cheddar Cheese.
BBQ Shepherds Pie-Prepare as directed, but omit garlic and substitute 3/4 cup Original Barbecue Sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp for gravy. onion powder.
Creative leftovers-This recipe is great for using leftover mashed potatoes.
Crispy shepherds pie-Roughing up the surface of the mash makes the top crispier, by increasing the surface area and providing thin sections which dry out and crisp faster compare roast potatoes.
Fry inLard-Frying the meat in lard can improve the texture and consistency of the finished product, although this also has the effect of increasing sharply the saturated fat content.
Skip Milk-you are using instant mashed potatoes, skip the milk when preparing the potatoes.
Grounds meat cooking Many dishes based on ground meat, it can be cooked for much longer in the stock than specified, up to two hours. Some cooks prefer this as it gives longer for the flavour to develop. People often comment that shepherds pie tastes better when reheated the day after for this reason!
Sauce :Soy Sauce,tomato sauce both of which act as flavour enhancers.
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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.
Baking Frozen Lasagnas And Casseroles
Use a moderate oven temperature for frozen casseroles. This heats them up gradually so the corners dont get overdone while the center is still cold.
1. Set the oven to 350°F.
2. Loosely cover the pan with foil and place in the oven. Its okay to put a fully frozen casserole in the cold oven as it heats.
3. Bake as long as the recipe directs, then add at least 15 minutes of additional baking time. A thawed frozen dish will take less time than one straight from the freezer.
4. Check on the casserole halfway through baking time. To get the top nice and brown, you may want to remove the foil.
5. The lasagna or casserole is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the casserole reads 160°F. What about it you dont have a thermometer? Look for cheese or sauce thats bubbling . When in doubt, take a peek into the center of the casserole to check that its good and hot.
There’s no magic formula for how long itll take to bake a frozen casserole. Its simply ready when its ready.
To put this to the test, I made our massively crave-worthy baked ziti recipe and froze it without baking first. I stuck it in a 350°F oven before it preheated. The 9 x 13 pan was still quite cold in the very center after more than an hour of baking, so I kept baking for another 20 minutes or so. I also needed to broil the top for a minute or so, because the cheese wasnt melting as nicely as a freshly assembled casserole.
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