Shepherd’s Pie

Don’t let the name fool you; this pie is anything but sweet. A savory delicious blend of meat and veggies and topped with fresh mashed potatoes and then baked to perfection.

Technically, this was the first home cooked meal I made for my husband. I had a limited amount of time but I wanted to make something really good. This meal was a good choice. He really liked it and it’s still a great meal that I keep in my cooking rotation.

I love Shepherd’s Pie because it’s a great meal to make when you’re not sure what people like to eat. It’s meat, potatoes and vegetables all packed into one dish. Plus, it’s a natural comfort food. You just take a bite and your taste buds will dance with glee. Creamy mashed potatoes with savory ground beef, Mmmm. It’s so good and uncomplicated.

For My Vegetarian Friends, here’s my proposed vegetarian version:

Sautéed mushrooms instead of ground beef. True, you’ll need a lot of mushrooms. But, I think mushrooms make the perfect meat-less alternative and they will undoubtedly taste amazing with the veggies and mashed potatoes.

Here’s the recipe:

Shepherd’s Pie

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 c fresh parsley
• 1 c frozen corn
• 1 TBSP flour
• 1/2 c milk or cream
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 3 large potatoes
• 3 TBSP butter
• salt & pepper (to taste)

Preparation: 

To make the mashed potatoes: peel and chop the potatoes. Boil them until they are tender and then drain and rinse them. Heat the milk or cream with the butter in a saucepan until hot. Then pour over the potatoes and mash thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

To make the meat & veggie base of the Shepherd’s Pie:

In a large frying pan, cook the ground beef until browned. 

Add the olive oil and the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion is tender.

Then add the carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

Then in a small bowl add 2 TBSP of water to the flour and whisk until smooth to create a little roux. Pour it over the beef and veggies and bring back to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Using a large baking dish, pour the beef and veggie mixture in one even layer.

Then top with the mashed potatoes, spreading them evenly over the meat and veggies.

Bake in the oven on 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

Serve & Enjoy!