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"!

To make this lower in calories, use extra-lean ground beef. Omit the cream cheese and egg yolk in the potatoes.

Course main

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Cottage Pie, Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 559kcal

Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

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. All beef can be used, and this is called "Cottage Pie".
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.
(see notes to reduce calories)

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

Weight Watcher 2025 Points: 8 per serving. Use all extra-lean ground beef. Omit the cream cheese and egg yolk in the mashed potatoes. This saves 14 points per serving!

Nutrition