How To Freeze Healthy Shepherds Pie
Once the shepherds pie is baked, cool completely and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place it in the freezer until fairly firm, about two hours. Then, cover tightly with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Mark the date on the outside and store in the freezer for up to two months.
When ready to serve, remove the foil and plastic wrap. Use the foil you just removed to loosely cover the pie. Make sure that your casserole dish can go straight from freezer to oven if not, set the casserole in the oven while the oven preheats so that the dish warms slowly.
Bake the casserole for an hour, or until the pie is hot all the way through. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to allow the top to brown.
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.
All About The Veggies
Some people believe that certain vegetables shouldnt be used in a shepherds piewere not those people! Have some pathetic-looking spinach? Toss it in! Mushrooms? Peppers? Squash? Zucchini? Beans? Corn? They can all go in, along with just about any other vegetable you can find at home. This is your chance to get creative and repurpose any veggies that you have on hand.
An easy shepherds pie is a great way to sneak extra veggies into your familys diet without them noticing. Be sure to thaw any frozen veggies that you may use before adding them to the recipe or it’ll make the pie watery when it’s cooking.
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Different Meats You Can Use
There are so many different types of meats you can use in a shepherd’s pie! From the classics to some not-so-traditional, we promise that you won’t be disappointed no matter what you use. Here are some of our favorites:
Pro Tip: Any and all types of meat will work for this easy recipe, as long as it’s been cooked! Chop any large cuts of meat up before adding them to your shepherd’s pie and they’ll blend in amazingly well.
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!
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Potato Toppings For A Classic Shepherd’s Pie
Most shepherds pie recipes will call for some sort of mashed potatoes on top to create the crust. Leftover mashed potatoes are the perfect way to have a quick and easy meal on the table in no time. Dont have leftover mashed potatoes to use? Dont fret, we have a few other options that you can use instead!
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix and match if you don’t have enough of one type to cover your shepherd’s pie. Do half mashed potatoes and half sweet potatoes or whatever works for you!
The Special Topping: Cauliflower And Potato Mash
One other change from traditional shepherds pie is the topping: Its a blend of cauliflower and potatoes! This means fewer carbs and calories , but more importantly, the added health benefits of cauliflower.
The recipe calls for sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, which plays off of the cauliflower and adds a pleasing crust when baked.
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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
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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What Makes This The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Texture: The cookies are soft in the middle and chewy around the edges.
- Flavor: They have a sweet, buttery, toffy-like cookie flavor, loaded with chocolate chips.
- Quick & Easy to make: No bringing the ingredients to room temperature. No chilling the dough. The recipe can easily be whisked together, instead of using a mixer. And, its a ONE BOWL recipe.
How To Thaw Shepherds Pie
Now, the secret of making a great Shepherds pie when you thaw it out is to cook it direly from frozen by unwrapping it and placing it into a preheated oven at the time indicated on the recipe. Add any grated cheese at this point. Keep in mind that it will take longer than indicated in the recipe to heat through.
The pie could also be removed from the freezer the night before and placed in the fridge to thaw, and then placed in a preheated oven until heated through. Thawed Shepherds pie will keep in the fridge and can be reheated, but should not be refrozen.
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How Much To Keep Shepherds Pie
A freshly baked Shepherds pie will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days Aluminum casing or aluminum casing. Can You Freeze Shepherds Pie? Yes, for freezing: Wrap Shepherd pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in a heavy-duty pickle.
More Recipes:
The Best Quick & Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe Made With Ground Beef
If youre looking for cheap and easy dinner recipes for the family, this ground beef and potato casserole recipe is always a hit! Even your picky eaters will love this simple meal. Its also loaded with veggies, so consider it healthy enough to serve often.
The idea behind a classic shepherds pie is simply to mix ground beef or lamb with a good hearty tomato based sauce and mixed vegetables, top with mashed potatoes in a casserole dish , and then bake until the potatoes and cheese are well browned.
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What Is Shepherds Pie
Originating from the early 1800s, shepherds pie is a traditional Irish recipe. Its a hearty dish where women had to get creative with leftovers. Similar to how we create leftover casseroles today!
The basic structure is having a savory minced lamb filling topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. The filling is usually simmered with onions, carrots, celery, and peas.
Sounds like a cottage pie right? Except, cottage pie uses beef and shepherds pie uses lamb or mutton. So when you eat a Shepherds pie in the US that swaps ground beef for lamb, thats truly a cottage pie, not a Shepherds pie. Oh, semantics.
If you dont eat a lot of lamb, I say give this traditional version a try. I think youll love it! But no matter which type of meat you choose, this is true comfort food that will warm you from the inside out during the winter months.
Can You Freeze Shepherds Pie
Questions about Shepherds pie getting sent to the freezer have been coming our way for some time now. In fact, heres one of the messages we received:
I made a Shepherds pie for dinner the other day and my family loved it. They ate the whole thing in one sitting and then requested that I make it again as soon as possible. While Im happy that they enjoyed it, making it is a lot of work. I really dont feel like making a Shepherds pie each week. Instead, I would prefer to make a few of them and freeze them, but Im not sure if they will taste the same after freezing. Can you freeze Shepherds pie?
Yes, you can freeze Shepherds pie! Many people freeze whole pies for later, make mini pies for freezing, or freeze individual serving slices. The tricky part about freezing Shepherds pie is the mashed potato top layer. Mashed potatoes can sometimes have a different consistency once defrosted, changing the taste a bit. It can sometimes help to freeze the pie before baking it in the oven to improve the taste and texture.
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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:
Easy Shepherds Pie How To Make Shepherds Pie
Easy Shepherds pie is a classic British dish that any one should try at least once in a lifetime! This Shepherds pie has layers of beef and lamb, vegetables, covered with potato mash. Wonder what to cook for dinner? Want to know how to make Shepherds Pie?
Try this simple and filling meat pie. Turn meat and potatoes into one of your dinners!
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Get Ahead Of The Game With These 11 Incredible Casseroles They Are Freezer
When it comes to cooking in the kitchen, my motto is Eat all the things. Just kidding. Its really Work smarter, not harder.
I cook for a small army every day, and I have found that I am most productive when working in batches. What this means is that if Im already exerting the energy to get food out and cook it and am already getting dishes dirty, then I might as well roll up my sleeves and really get to work by making extra food for later.
Think of it as your own little BOGO meal. Except maybe its MOGO MAKE ONE, GET ONE. Ha!
Since youre already making a casserole for your family, you might as well spend a few extra minutes making another one to freeze for later. That way, when life gets crazy and youre desperate for an easy meal, youve already got one in the freezer ready to cook at a moments notice. High-fives for everyone!
These casseroles can all be frozen as one whole casserole or as individual portions. Simply bake them, cool them completely, and wrap them tightly in foil. They will keep for up to 3 months.
To reheat the casseroles cover them loosely with foil in a 350°F oven. It’s best to reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Want more meals to double and freeze? Try these!
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.
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