I've made Shepherd's Pie a couple times and have finally found the best recipe! I just made it the other day and I'm still craving it. I do find that with this dish organic ingredients taste better, especially the meat.
Serving Size: 4-6
For the potatoes:
--1.5 lbs of yellow Idaho potatoes (you can use whatever kind you prefer though)
--1/4 cup Half-n-Half
-- 2 oz unsalted butter (I do measure mine on a kitchen scale, but it's approx 4 TBSP)
--3/4 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
--1 egg yolk (no whites)
For the meat filling:
--2 TBSP canola oil
--1.5 lbs of organic & LEAN ground beef or lamb
--1 cup chopped onion, I prefer a yellow onion
--2 carrots, peeled and diced small
--3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (We are a garlic loving family, so decrease to 2 if you prefer)
--1 tsp salt
--1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
--2 TBSP all-purpose flour
--2 tsp tomato paste
--1 cup good quality chicken broth
--1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
--2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves (fresh is best)
--1 tsp chopped thyme leaves (fresh is best)
--1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
*Some recipes call for peas, but I don't like them so I don't put them in my recipe.
Add if you prefer.
--A dash of Paprika to add to the top of the pie before baking
Peel the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with COLD water. Set to high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to low/simmer and cook until tender; approx. 10 minutes. When done, drain potatoes in a colander and return to the saucepan. Heat the half-n-half and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until warmed through; approx. 35 seconds. Mash the potatoes and then add the half-n-half/butter mixture, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the egg yolk until well combined.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat oil in a large saute pan and turn to med-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the beef or lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approx 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and toss to coat, this will soak up the excess fat. Continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer slowly for about 10-12 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Add the corn and then spread the mixture evenly into an 11x7 baking dish (preferably glass). Top with the mashed potatoes, starting at the edges to create a seal; this will prevent the mixture from bubbling up and over the dish. Smooth potatoes over meat mixture.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, I usually broil the pie on High for the NO MORE than 2 minutes, to add a crisp to the potatoes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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