What Is Shepards Pie
If youre new to Shepherds Pie , let me be the first to welcome you to your new favourite comfort food. Essentially, its lamb and veggies smothered in a gravy and who doesnt love an excuse for tons and tons of gravy?
All those times you were limited to just a small drizzle on a few slices of roast lamb because there wasnt enough to go around Bah! This is how you get your gravy fix!!
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad With Lemon And Pecorino
Again, were going with Brussels sprouts as a shepherds pie side dish.
Only this time, youre not roasting them. Youll shave them raw into salad-form!
If youve never tried them as the basis for a salad, youve been missing out.
Whats more, they are completely refreshing and the texture is a delight next to that thick and rich shepherds pie.
With only 10 minutes to spare prior to serving dinner, you can have this one done and ready to go.
Sound complex? Not in the slightest if you follow Katies recipe at Moms Kitchen Handbook!
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Shepherds Pie uses both lean ground beef and Italian sausage . Then its filled with all kinds of veggies: peas, carrots, corn, leeks, garlic, onions and bell peppers. The seasoning is what makes this recipe so special.
It includes tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme and rosemary and the combination is so tasty. The mashed potato topping is absolutely sensational. It has parmesan and cheddar cheeses and its so thick and creamy because of the butter and heavy whipping cream. Using a whole egg yolk is also genius. All in all this is one of the BEST casseroles Ive ever eaten. High praise, I know.
I LOVE Shepherds Pie even though it was not a traditional dish my mom ever made. It wasnt until after I moved away from home that I first started eating this delightful one-dish meal. The first time I remember eating Shepherds Pie was when I worked at Walt Disney World back in the 1970s.
I sampled this from the company cafeteria and loved it instantly. Ive scoured recipes over the years and Ive probably tried at least ten or fifteen different ones over the decades, but no other Shepherds Pie recipe has compared to this one. Sensational is an understatement.
If youre looking for a fabulous Shepherds Pie recipe, this one cant be beat! Youre family will bless you and theyll ask you to make this over and over again, I assure you. And you will be only too happy to oblige.
Shepherds Pie is one of the BEST meat pies youll ever eat!
Heres what I did.
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What To Serve With Shepherds Pie: Extra Suggestions
To make shepherds pie, perhaps youre using an old family recipe. Or perhaps youve found one online that youre willing to tackle. Or you may even be loosely following what goes into a shepherds pie and concocting your own creation.
Were totally on board with that!
But however you desire your shepherds pie to be, and believe us, there are many ways, we have a few tips for you to help make your meal even more smashing regardless of tradition!
And besides, why should chicken pot pie have all the fun, when it comes to meat-based pies?
Use quality cheese
Some recipes for shepherds pie insist that cheese be incorporated into the mashed potatoes. Weve seen recipes using Irish Dubliner cheeses all the way to regular cheddar.
And the only thing we can agree on is this whatever cheese you use, make it a quality brand. It will always result in the best taste.
Experiment with sweet potatoes
Feeling like regular mashed potatoes with cheese in them might be a little too high-cal for you? You can use sweet potatoes instead.
It might sound strange, but it tastes amazing and it lightens up your entire meal. This assumes you dont go too, too heavy on your side dishes for shepherds pie!
Plus, you get more beta-carotene which is super-healthy!
Use fresh herbs with lamb versions
Try another way of lightening the calories
If the thought of using sweet potatoes on your shepherds pie seems like blasphemy, you can always lighten up the dish another way.
Brighten up the presentation
How To Make The Meat Filling
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat then add in the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.
Cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes stirring regularly.
Now, add the meat and stir to combine. Cook the meat and vegetable mixture for another 5-7 minutes stirring regularly to break up the meat. Cook until there is no pink left in the meat.
To the skillet and meat mixture, add the Worcestershire sauce, green peas, corn, and tomato paste then stir to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the flour into the meat mixture and stir until it has dissolved.
Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 4-5 minutes or until thickened.
Set the meat mixture aside and preheat the oven to 400°F.
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How Long To Boil Eggs For Deviled Eggs:
- Fill a large pot 3/4 full of water.
- Place the pot over high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. This can take between 7-12 minutes, depending on the size of your pot and how much water you use. To speed things up, I use hot tap water and keep the lid on the pot until the water is boiling.
- Carefully and gently add the desired amount of large eggs to the boiling water. A mesh strainer works well for gently lowering more than one egg at a time into the hot water.
- Boil the eggs for 13-14 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so that the water doesnt boil over.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Drain the hot water from the pot while keeping the eggs in the pot. You could use the lid of the pot or a strainer to help keep the eggs in the pot as you drain the hot water.
- Add cold water to the pot until the eggs are covered in cold water. Pour that water out. Repeat with more cold water.
- Add 2 cups of ice to the pot. Gently stir the eggs. If the ice melts, add more until the water stays ice cold.
- Let the eggs rest in the ice cold water for 5 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the cold water. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week until you are ready to use them.
- Gently crack the egg shells and peel the eggs.
More About This Recipe
- Shepherds pie is also commonly called cottage pie, but there actually is a key difference between the two. Cottage pie traditionally contains beef while shepherds pie is usually filled with lamb. Regardless of what you call it, if youre in search of a brilliant way to use up those uneaten leftovers, then youve found what youre looking for in this shepherds pie recipe. The holidays are particularly convenient time to throw in whatever meat and vegetables youve got lingering in the fridge into a shepherds pie recipe recipe thats all your own. Warm, savory and oh-so-comforting, this cheesy beef shepherds pie is everything you love about a hearty beef dinner and then some.
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Can I Use Instant Potatoes Instead Of Fresh Mashed
The purist in me says, “please, no!”. That said, you can definitely use instant mashed potatoes in a pinch. I don’t personally like the flavor, even when “doctored up” as my husband would say. Instant potatoes are a hard no from me, but that doesn’t mean they are for others.
Freshly made mashed potatoes are so easy to whip up that I don’t see the need for a substitute, but again, do what works best for you and your family.
What’s The Difference Between A Shepherd’s Pie And Cottage Pie
A true shepherd’s pie is made with lamb while a cottage pie is made with beef. In the US, I notice that it is often called a shepherd’s pie when it really is just a cottage pie.
Since the type of meat used is the only real difference in this dish, I find most have a version using beef that they call shepherd’s pie even if it technically isn’t. Our family often grabs beef for this since lamb isn’t as readily available in our grocery stores. That said, I much prefer the truly authentic version using lamb.
If you are watching your red meat intake, you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground pork in place of lamb or beef. While that will keep it from being truly authentic, the flavors can still be fantastic.
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How To Make Mashed Potato Topping
While the meat mixture is cooking, you will place your peeled potatoes into a pot of salted water and bring to a boil.
Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes or until fork-tender.
Drain the potatoes reserving ¼ cup of the water.
Pour the potatoes back into the pan and add in the water then begin mashing.
When the potatoes are mostly mashed, add in the melted butter, heavy cream, and sour cream.
Stir and mash to combine.
Prep Ahead And Tips For Shepherds Pie
You will love how easy and convenient this dish is. It can be made a day in advance, which makes dinner prep easier.
- Layering After prepping the meat mixture, let it cool and then chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will help keep the mashed potato layer separated.
- Prep Ahead Prep and assemble up to one day in advance and refrigerate. Let it come to room temperature 30 minutes before baking it.
- Quick Clean Up If your baking dish is very full, place it on a parchment lined baking sheet to avoid any juices spilling in your oven.
- To Freeze Before Baking
- Cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake for 45 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered
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What Goes With Shepherds Pie
What Goes With Shepherds Pie? The beauty of shepherds pie is that you have so many different kinds of sides to choose from and most of them are easy to prepare. Here are some of the best categories that go well with shepherds pie.
Choose between some easily made roasted asparagus or honey-glazed carrots. Mushy peas and mashed parsnips are great as sides, too:
- Veggies Youre right! Most people, especially children, hate veggies. But when you pick the right ones and prepare them well, they truly balance out the heaviness of the dinners hero, aka, the shepherds pie.
- Starches Theres already potato in the pie. So, wont the addition of starches make the meal heavier? Not if you pick the right recipes. Try out some condensed milk bread that is so light and fluffy you wont even feel youve eaten it. Or, go with traditional Yorkshire pudding to make dinner a hundred percent British affair. Dinner rolls and baked beans are other excellent sides.
- Salads Sometimes all you need to lighten up a meal is a well-prepared salad. Salads add so much variety to the table that sometimes they can get the lions share of attention, too. Go with a simple beet salad that also includes arugulas, cranberries, and feta cheese, topped with olive oil and mustard.
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!
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Beet & Goat Cheese Salad With White Wine Vinegar Dressing
A great salad is one of the best things to go with your shepherds pie!
The crisp textures and delightful tangy flavors are a marvelous contrast to the richness from your main dish.
Beets are a rustic ingredient that are perfect for this time of year and they really pair beautifully with goat cheese.
You could simply toss a bed of greens with beets and goat cheese and call it a day, but why stop there?
Check out this recipe below: She uses roasted beets, granny smith apples, pecans, and goat cheese for an epic combination of texture and sweetness with a tangy white wine vinegar dressing.
We are in love with this salad by Lacey at A Sweet Pea Chef.
Recipe For Easy Shepherds Pie
How to make an easy Shepherds Pie with a 30 minute bake time. To save time and cut your prep time in 1/2, you can make instant potatoes if you are in a hurry! My gram loved the Betty Crocker Brand with Butter.
Are you looking for other ways to make Shepherds Pie?
How about a healthy Shepherds pie with mashed cauliflower? You literally cannot taste the difference between mashed potato and mashed cauliflower. Its so good! You can still add corn too!
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Whats In Shepherds Pie
Shepherds pie is made with ground meat and chopped up vegetables, which is simmered in a rich gravy, then topped with mashed potatoes and baked. In England, they almost always use ground lamb, whereas Americans usually make it with ground beef And I wont be the least bit offended if you call one the other. Both delicious and easily interchangeable.
Does Shepherds Pie have cheese on top? Traditionally, a Shepherds Pie is not topped with cheese, but I always mix some shredded cheddar cheese into the mashed potatoes. Because, of course. Cheese makes it that much more delicious!
Why Is It Called Shepherds Pie
Originally a meat pie made with minced meat and mashed potatoes was known as a Cottage Pie . It is very popular in Ireland, Scotland and England as well! In the late 1800s the pie was named Shepherds Pie if made with lamb and if made with beef it was called Cottage Pie.
Regardless of the name, this recipe is a classic Shepherds Pie recipe loaded with flavor and the perfect make ahead meal to serve all year long!
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