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Shepherd’s Pie

the shepherd's pie ready to serve.
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5 from 11 reviews

Traditional shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, but this version uses ground beef. It’s classic comfort food and a favorite cold-weather dinner. This recipe feeds four people with some leftovers but can stretch to feed six if you have a salad, bread, or cooked veggies on the side.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ large yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 large carrots, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil them for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
  2. While the potatoes boil, melt the butter in a 10″ oven-safe skillet. Add the onions and carrots and cook them until they soften, approximately 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and beef, using a spatula to break it up as it cooks. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the beef and stir. Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the liquid until the juices thicken.
  4. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot. Mash the potatoes to break them up. Add the butter and heavy cream. Continue mashing until the potatoes are smooth and the cream and butter are incorporated. Season with the black pepper and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
  5. Add the peas and parsley to the beef and vegetables and stir to combine. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the meat filling. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top of the potatoes.
  6. Turn the oven to broil. Place the skillet on a sheet pan (in case anything bubbles over the edges of the skillet) and place it under the broiler. Keep an eye on it, and once the potatoes start to take on some golden edges, remove the skillet from the oven and serve.

Notes

If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the cooked filling to a 9″ casserole dish and add the mashed potatoes.

If you are sensitive to salt, I recommend reducing the salt in the mashed potatoes to one teaspoon. Or, add a little at a time and taste the potatoes until the flavor works for you. 

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/shepherds-pie/