The BEST Shepherd's Pie

A simple but perfect recipe for Shepherd's Pie with a layer of rich meaty gravy on the bottom topped with mashed potatoes and a little cheese.

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One of my very good friends had major surgery last Tuesday – I’ll call her M in this story. She’s got some scary stuff going on right now and I’m so worried about her but if anyone can win a fight through sheer will and prayer, it’s her.

She is literally one of THE BEST people on this earth. Ask anyone who knows her and they will tell you the same. She and her husband are the most generous, humble, loving, gracious people I’ve ever known.

Husband and I have literally asked ourselves over the years why M and her husband love us so much and still remain such close friends with us because we’re so flawed and rowdy and generally messy in comparison. But they do! They love and like us anyway! God love ‘em!

Word got out that M was going to have this surgery so a few of us decided to throw some stuff together that might help her and her family while she recovers and battles this. Once folks figured out we were a way to get things to M, it was like a dam broke.

The outpouring of love and support was staggering to behold but it’s just a testament to what an amazing woman she is and how loved her family is.

I’m telling you all this to A) tell you how it is I came to make this Shepherd’s Pie and mostly because B) I’d like to ask to you pray for M. If you’re not the praying sort, just some good positive thoughts or healing juju sent her way would be appreciated too!

So, I wanted to make something for M and her family that they could just pop in the fridge then heat up sometime over the next few days to have for lunch (because that Meal Train is booked SOLID y’all) so I decided on a Shepherd’s Pie.

I got tickled when I dropped it off because their youngest is a total foodie and he was getting himself a taste before I even got out the kitchen good!

I can’t wait to find out if my recipe passed his taste test!

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL SHEPHERD’S PIE

An authentic, traditional Shepherd’s Pie is a casserole made with ground lamb. A dish made like this with ground beef, is actually called Cottage Pie. I use a combination of the two and because I do include the customary lamb, I still call mine Shepherd’s Pie.

The filling is most often made with ground lamb (or a combo of lamb and beef), carrots, onions and peas. Some recipes add other vegetables like parsnips or celery. I add celery to mine because I don’t like peas – don’t hate me! – but still want a little something green in there.

The meat and veg are made into a brown gravy/sauce then spooned into the bottom of a baking dish. The dish is then covered with a layer of mashed potatoes then baked until bubbly. Some folks (including me) add a little cheddar cheese to the top though it may be argued that traditional Shepherd’s Pie has no cheese.

For an alternative, you can also serve this as the Scottish dish called Mince & Tatties (mince is the common word for ground meat in the UK and tatties refers to the potatoes).

You might want to try it because that’s just a FUN name but also because it cuts a step out of the process. To serve, spoon mashed potatoes on a plate then top with the meaty gravy (omitting the cheese and baking step).

I think Mince & Tatties doesn’t usually have peas and you can use whichever ground meat you prefer so my version of Shepherd’s Pie is perfect for it!

I don’t go into how to make mashed potatoes below because I think most of you have that down (or a quick recipe search will help you get there) but if you’re not sure how much to make for this recipe, I’d suggest using about 2 pounds of potatoes.

Don’t judge me, but… I most often use the prepared mashed potatoes in the refrigerated section of the grocery store! I know! I know! That sounds crazy, right? But they are cheap and they are good! And most importantly, I rarely cook potatoes so the unused potatoes always go bad before I can use them.

I don’t recommend using instant potatoes in this recipe. I’m no mashed potato expert but I can definitely tell the difference in mashed potatoes made from fresh potatoes and instant and I’m no fan of the instant mashed potatoes.

HOW TO FREEZE AND REHEAT SHEPHERD’S PIE

You can easily cut this recipe in half if you’d like to make a smaller portion or you could prepare two small dishes then freeze one.

To freeze/reheat Shepherd’s Pie, cook the dish per the recipe then cool to room temperature. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil then freeze for up to two months.

When you’re ready to prepare the frozen Shepherd’s Pie, leave the aluminum foil on the dish then heat at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 30-45 minutes if frozen; or 1 hour if thawed (thaw in refrigerator).

Recipe for The BEST Shepherd's Pie

The BEST Shepherd's Pie

Yield: 12 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 50 Min

A simple but perfect recipe for Shepherd's Pie with a layer of rich meaty gravy on the bottom topped with mashed potatoes and a little cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 4 cups beef broth
• 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4-5 cups prepared mashed potatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Cook and crumble ground meat over high heat in a large skillet until meat is cooked though, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste while cooking. Drain meat in a colander then set aside.
2. To the now empty skillet, add butter carrots, celery and onion then sauté vegetables over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until carrots are tender, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste while cooking.
3. Add flour, stir well, then continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium then add beef broth, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg then heat and stir until simmering. Once simmering, cook for 5-6 minutes or until thick and bubbly.
5. Stir in cooked beef and lamb.
6. Pour mixture into a 3-quart 13x9 baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over meat gravy then spread smooth. Top with cheese then bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. See notes below if not cooking immediately.

Notes

• If cooking from room temperature, bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until heated through. If cheese starts to brown too much, cover loosely with foil.
• If cooking from refrigerated temperature, cover with foil then bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until cheese is melted and meat mixture is bubbly. 
• If cooking from frozen, cover with foil then bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 30-45 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat mixture is bubbly. 
• Feel free to use all ground beef or all ground lamb in this recipe instead of a combination of the two if you prefer. Using all ground beef technically makes it a “Cottage Pie” but I think most folks still call it “Shepherd’s Pie” and nobody’s ever burst into flames for doing so.
• I HATE English peas so I don’t put them in my Shepherd’s Pie (or anything else) but feel free to add a cup of fresh or frozen peas to the meat mixture after it has thickened. Shepherd’s Pie traditionally has peas and may not always have celery – I add the celery for a little something green and because it gives the dish a fresh taste.
• I didn’t always cook the meat separate from the veg but I’ve started doing so since meat packagers are pumping so much water/brine into meat to add weight these days. The pan fills with water which makes the ingredients boil instead of sear and sauté, and the added liquid can really screw up a good gravy or sauce. If you have a great butcher or source for ground meat, and know your ground meat isn’t bogged down with added water, feel free to cook the meat and veg together and omit the draining step.
• For an alternative, serve this as a Scottish dish called Mince & Tatties (because that’s just a FUN name and it cuts a step out of the process). To serve, spoon mashed potatoes on a plate then top with the meat gravy (omitting the cheese and baking step).
• If you plan on fussing at me about Shepherd's Pie vs. Cottage Pie, please read the notes above and the section HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL SHEPHERD’S PIE in the post and spare us both the frustration.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2019/06/the-best-shepherds-pie.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2019

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