What Goes In Shepherd’s Pie

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How Long To Boil Eggs For Deviled Eggs:

How to Make an Easy and Traditional Shepherds Pie | You Can Cook That | Allrecipes.com
  • 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.

Variations On Cottage Pie

Whats really fun, is the variations on cottage pie that you see in British cuisine, and that have made their way to the States with the immigrants.

A version of cottage pie, called St. Stephens day pie, is made with leftover Christmas turkey and ham to celebrate St. Stephens feast day on December 26.

Pate Chinois is a French Canadian version where you will find corn as the vegetable of choice in the meat filling.

Youll find another variation of cottage pie in the coastal regions of Britain. Since seafood is abundant, their cottage pie becomes a fish pie.

And, if you top the potato crust of your traditional cottage pie with breadcrumbs and cheese, it becomes a Cumberland pie.

Theyre all so tasty!

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.

Read Also: Best Bean Pie Recipe

Roasted Bacon And Butternut Squash

And finally, well leave you with a fall staple butternut squash!

While it is a bit starchy, preparing it in a roasted manner keeps it from having the soft, mushy quality that we love about shepherds pie.

As we mentioned earlier, having everything with a mushy texture isnt as appealing as that contrast.

Perfect meals are those composed with flavors and textures that play off of each other.

But if you really want to send your taste buds over the edge with pleasure, cook up some bacon and add it to the mix.

Tracy has a heavenly recipe over at Baking Mischief and you will love it for the sheer simplicity , ease of making, and the taste!

How To Eat: Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd

This month, How to Eat is settling down on the sofa with a steaming plate of shepherds pie, peas and diced carrots, a mug of tea and, naturally, a slice of thickly buttered bread for mopping up. How else would you eat this meal?

It is not often that one might feel sorry for Jeffrey Archer. But his revulsion at the state of the shepherds pie at HMP Belmarsh, as described inA Prison Diary, Hell, Volume I, is surely vivid enough to elicit that rare flicker of sympathy? The meat, if it is meat, is glued to the potato, and then deposited on your plastic plate in one large blob, resembling a Turner prize entry, he shuddered.

Man can suffer many indignities in life but when you find yourself in a situation where no one can be bothered to make even a half-decent shepherds pie for you the subject of this months How to Eat then you have surely hit rock-bottom. After all, it is not difficult to assemble, which may explain why this hardy northern dish , has become one of Britains foremost comfort foods. It is both spoonable self-medication and something that the clumsiest kitchen clot can knock up.

Recommended Reading: Turkey Pot Pie With Mushroom Soup

How To Make Shepherds Pie:

To make this Irish shepherds pie recipe, simply:

  • Cook the mashed potatoes. Cook the large potatoes in a large stockpot until tender. Then drain, mash, and stir in the remaining mashed potato ingredients until combined. Set aside for later.
  • Brown the meat. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, cook the ground beef or lamb in a bit of oil until browned, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Then transfer it to a separate plate with a wooden spoon, reserving any grease that it has left behind.
  • Sauté the veggies. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic in the leftover grease until they are softened as well.
  • Add in the flour and wine. Stir in the flour to help thicken the sauce. Then add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon to loosen any of those tasty brown bits.
  • Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, herbs and frozen peas. Then give everything a good stir, and cook the mixture until it reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat to let it simmer for a few more minutes, so that those herbs can really season the sauce. Then remove the herbs , stir in the cooked meat, give the mixture a taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  • Layer it all up. Transfer the filling mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and spread it out in an even layer. Then spoon the mashed potatoes on top and carefully spread them out in an even layer as well.
  • 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.

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    How Do You Make Shepherds Pie From Scratch

    To make this recipe for Shepherds pie with ground beef, you start out by making the meat filling. Combine all the ingredients for that and simmer together. Once its ready, you can get the oven pre-heated. Then youll make your mashed potatoes. After you have them ready, you can assemble this casserole in a baking dish with the meat mixture on the bottom and the mashed potatoes on top. Bake it uncovered for 30 minutes, let it cool for about 15 minutes, and then serve.

    How To Make A Shepherd’s Pie

    Shepherd’s Pie in a cast iron pan | lamb and peas filling, cheesy potato topping

    Pour the meat mixture into a 9″x9″ baking pan or deep-dish pie plate.

    Spread the potato mixture over the top in an even layer.

    Place the pie into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling and the potatoes are nicely browned on top.

    Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

    Don’t miss more of my favorite comfort food meals. This simple old fashioned goulash recipe is one you’ll fall in love with making. Of course, the kids will love my southern-style baked mac and cheese. For the meat and potatoes guys, these skillet pork chops with pan gravy are a perfect choice.

    For dessert, you might want to whip up these cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze or a dish of this homemade rice pudding recipe.

    Chef’s Tips

    When making this meal to serve to guests, go the extra mile and use a piping bag to add the mashed potatoes on top. A large drop flower or open star tip work great for this addition to the dish. I prefer using Wilton piping tips but you can use any brand that you have on hand.

    Also Check: Campbell’s Chicken Pot Pie With Cream Of Potato Soup

    Cottage Pie 2 Little Tips

    I just have 2 little tips to make your Cottage Pie a resounding success:

  • To stop the potato from sinking into the filling, cool the filling first. But this isnt a deal breaker, its just a visual thing ie if you dont cool the filling, the potato bleeds into the beef mixture and

  • Ensure the filling reduces down enough to ensure you dont end up with a watery filling after baking. Its so disappointing when you break through the potato to be greeted with a beef sitting in a watery sauce!

  • Is Shepherds Pie Irish Or Scottish

    In the States, we tend to think about shepherds pie around St. Patricks Day. So, if you ask nearly anyone what country shepherds pie comes from, youre bound to get the answer, Ireland.

    However, cottage pie probably originated in Scotland, in the North of the UK. Meat pies were common in this region, and were topped with pastry crust before the 1700s when potatoes were introduced as a crop. Once the potato crust came into play, cottage pie as we know it today came into being.

    As cottage pie became popular throughout Britain and potatoes became a staple crop in Ireland, the dish began to be more associated with Ireland, and similar pies with a pastry crust began to re-emerge in Scottish cuisine.

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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.

    Which Is Dry Red Wine

    Shepherd

    Similarity, red wines that are considered dry are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Tempranillo. Cabernet and Merlot are the most popular and well-known produced red wine varieties. Dry red wines that are produced in America include cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and zinfandel.

    Also Check: Campbells Chicken Pot Pie With Pie Crust

    Where Did Shepherds Pie Originate

    Well, now that you have the sides sorted out, why dont you sit back and relax while you read on for some interesting trivia. You must already know that shepherds pie is a traditional British dish. But did you know it comes with a backstory?

    Back in the 1700s, in Scotland, wives of peasants and shepherds had a tough time dealing with leftovers, especially lamb meat. Not wishing to throw away food, they turned this meat into a delicious dish with just a few additional ingredients.

    The result, as we know it today, is this comfort food called shepherds pie. Over the years, people began to make a beef version of the shepherds pie, which came to be known as cottage pie.

    Whats The Difference Between A Shepherds Pie And Cottage Pie

    A true shepherds pie is made with lamb while a cottage pie is made with beef. In the US, I notice that it is often called a shepherds 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 shepherds pie even if it technically isnt. Our family often grabs beef for this since lamb isnt 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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    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!

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