Shepherd's Pie

We had a handful of staples growing up. With 3 kids, I can only imagine the exhaustion my parents felt at the idea of getting creative with dinner at the end of a busy day. I've even fallen into a bit of rhythm now; I have my staple meals that I cycle out, and then throw some fun in there every now and again.

Stuffed peppers, pork chops, Chef Boyardee pizza, Hamburger Helper stroganoff, and stuffed cabbage were a few of the frequent visitors at our house. Then there was Shepherd's Pie.

I don't remember everything about our version, but I do remember Velveeta on top. Velveeta is rather inflammatory; people seem to either love it or hate it. Though I did not go this route with my recipe here, I am definitely not against Velveeta. Go your own way with the cheese choices.

What is Shepherd's Pie exactly? You'll see it rather uncommonly on menus, but often at Irish pubs and even the Cheesecake Factory. Originally crafted in Ireland the 1700s as a dish to preserve food and mix what was available together (throw a bunch of leftovers in a casserole - I know someone who does this excellently), the name was Cottage Pie when ground beef was involved, and Shepherd's Pie when there was lamb (quite logical). There is no strict way to make it - some use cream to thicken the gravy, others flour, so this is an easy one to have some creativity with. Ultimately, it is a mashed potato "crust" (some do put potatoes on the top and bottom of the dish with a meat and vegetable mixture in gravy making the main portion. This is a wholeheartedly Irish dish. Mine growing up was ground beef topped with mashed potatoes and melted cheese on top, in its simplest form.

And that is where I started, in concept. I did want to next level this a bit with some more seasonings, and thanks to my handy dandy herb garden, was able to make some magic happen.

It all started with ground beef. Lamb works great, too (the Greek in me was happy to write that). I cooked it with some onion and garlic, drained any extra fat, then added my herbs: sage, rosemary, fresh parsley and oregano, and of course, salt and pepper. I then mixed in some Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and flour, and stirred it all together until well combined. Next came the broth: added this in along with some frozen vegetables (you can use less vegetables if desired, and cut back the broth slightly to make less filling) and let the whole thing simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the sauce had thickened a bit.

I boiled the potatoes and mashed them, then mixed in the butter, half and half, garlic, salt and pepper, and mixed in some shredded cheese (cheesy potatoes are. my. favorite!).  I am a "skin on" potato person so did not peel the potatoes and instead mashed 'em in there, but just as with cheese, follow your own path.

To put the whole puzzle together, I got a casserole dish out (and actually, you can use smaller Pyrex dishes or even ramekins to make little ones if desired), sprayed a bit of non-stick cooking spray, and spooned in the meat mixture. I topped this with the mashed potatoes, and finally, sprinkled some cheese on top.

After about 25 minutes of bake time, I had a home filled with the aroma of Shepherd's Pie.

I have to say, the herbs really made this special.

I really picked up on the sage, and the savory meat with the soft texture of the mashed potatoes was great. I love that the veggies can be changed out easily, making this a great one to use what is on hand with. My next thought is trying mashed sweet potatoes on top, just because sweet potatoes are not just pretty in color but loaded with vitamins.

Another success in the realm of meet and potatoes.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sage (if using ground, use 1/4 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup flour

2 cups frozen or fresh vegetables (I used a mix of carrots, peas, corn, and green beans)

For the potato topping:

2 cups cooked mashed potatoes (I used about 6 small russet potatoes)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar), additional for topping as desired

Instructions:

Cook ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat, chopping finely as it browns. Add onion and garlic while the beef cooks. Once the beef is fully cooked, add salt, sage, rosemary. parsley, oregano, and pepper and stir. Stir in Worcestershire sauce tomato paste, and flour, then add beef broth and vegetables. Simmer on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened, then remove from heat.

To make the potato topping, cube potatoes and boil for 15 minutes, until fork tender. Mash, then stir in butter, half and half, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese,

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. To prepare the pie, spread the meat mixture into the bottom of a medium casserole dish, then spread the potato mixture over the top. Top with more shredded cheese, if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

adapted from the best shepherd's pie