Easy Shepherd's Pie
Shepherd's Pie is a classic Irish dish that has a meat filling of lamb, cooked with vegetables in a savory sauce and then topped with a crust of mashed potatoes. This recipe is a fast version that I've been making for years-- and it never fails to deliver that comforting flavor on a chilly fall or winter night. If you don't like lamb, you can substitute ground beef for the ground lamb-- but then it's called "Cottage Pie"!
Servings 6
Calories 646kcal
Ingredients
POTATO TOPPING:
- 2 pounds potatoes such as russet, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese or sour cream
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup 1% milk or heavy cream for richer flavor
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FILLING:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 turn of the pan
- 1 3/4 pounds ground lamb optional: use 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground lamb
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons thyme fresh or dried
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
GRAVY:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cup beef stock or broth
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire
- 1 cup frozen peas instead of fresh carrots, substitute 2 cups frozen peas and carrots for a prep shortcut
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves chopped, for garnish
Instructions
For the potatoes:
- Cook potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl.
- While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef and lamb.
- Combine cream cheese or sour cream, egg yolk and milk or heavy cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
For the meat filling:
- Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings.
- Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the thyme. Add the tomato paste, which gives the meat filling a richer flavor.
For the gravy:
- In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly.
- Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from: Rachel Ray, Food Network