Shepherd's Pie - my kind of comfort food

I have always wanted to make Shepherd’s Pie at home but somehow, I always get lazy and find a reason not to make it. The only restaurant I have had Shepherd’s Pie is at the Cheesecake Factory and it is really good! Sometimes, I would also get it from Costco. But of course, there is nothing like homemade Shepherd’s Pie and I have to say it is my kind of comfort food. I love anything potatoes and beef and potato is such a great combination with hearty flavors.

The other day I had some leftover mashed potatoes and decided to finally make Shepherd’s Pie. There are a ton of recipes out there and it is very easy and simple to make. I did end up making a new batch of mashed potatoes though as I thought a fresh batch would be better. I used the leftover one to make Potato & Tuna croquettes which the whole family devoured in one night. That was easy to make too but it was a bit time consuming. Just add tuna (drained), salt and pepper, grated cheese to the mashed potatoes. Shape into balls, dredge with flour, dip into beaten eggs and finally roll them in breadcrumbs and deep fry. They were delicious!

Here is the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie and a picture of my Potato & Tuna Croquettes. Enjoy!

Shepherd’s Pie

Yield: Serves 8

The ingredient list looks daunting but I promise this all comes together quickly. While the potatoes are boiling, I start the meat and vegetable mixture – multi-tasking is your friend. You can use a variety of different ground meats here. I’ve made this once with just ground turkey and another time with a combination of ground beef and sausage. Yum! Danielle, who sent me the recipe, uses ground lamb and sausage which would also be delicious (ground lamb is a bit hard to find where I live).

Ingredients

Potato Layer:

• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4-5 cups)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 – 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• Salt and pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 egg yolk

Meat Filling:

• 2 – 2 1/2 pounds ground beef, turkey, lamb, or sausage (or a combination of any)

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 2 large carrots chopped small (about 1 cup)

• 2 cloves garlic, finely pressed

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth

• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)

• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 teaspoon fresh)

• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray (I’ve also used a slightly smaller ceramic casserole dish with good results, too, just makes the layers slightly thicker).

2. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or so (it will depend on how large or small the potatoes are cut) until the potatoes are tender.

3. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Mash the potatoes lightly. Add the butter, milk (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed), Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder. Mash together until smooth and creamy. Stir in the egg yolk until combined.

4. For the meat and vegetable mixture, in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain any excess grease from the mixture.

5. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.

6. Stir in the corn and peas.

7. Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top all the way to the edges of the pan creating a seal over the meat mixture. Sprinkle the 1 cup cheddar over the top of the potatoes.

8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden and the casserole is bubbling. Let it rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.