Shepard's Pie

I know this isn’t an Italian recipe, but it is delicious and absolutely a family favorite. It is comforting at all times of the year but especially during fall and winter. It’s the kind of dish that holds on to it’s heat for a while like soup, letting you enjoy it’s body warming effects longer then some other recipes :) This dish is rich, flavorful and filling! The leftovers (if any!) are fantastic too!

The Recipe

THE INGREDIENTS -

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes

  • Salt - probably around 3 - 3 1/2 tsps

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup broth (or more milk if desired)

  • 1/2 stick butter (salted or unsalted)

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1/2 medium onion - diced

  • 3 smaller carrots peeled and diced (approx 1 1/2 cups)

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 1/4 pounds ground beef

  • 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 3/4 frozen petite peas

THE PREPARATION -

  1. FOR THE MASHED POTATOES - Peel the potatoes and cut in chunks approximately the same size. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt (around a 1/2 tsp) and the potatoes. Cook until tender, drain and return back to the pot.

  2. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add in the butter and milk, mash some more. Add in the broth or milk and mash until smooth. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.

  3. FOR THE FILLING - Put the oil in a large skillet and heat. Add in the onions and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add in the ground beef and break up into pieces. Add in the garlic, rosemary, thyme and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes

  4. Sprinkle the flour over the beef mixture and stir for another minute. Add in the tomato paste, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer stirring often until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

  5. Add the beef mixture to a 2 quart baking dish and then spoon the mashed potatoes around the top. I do many spoonfuls around the dish so that smoothing it out is easier. Smooth out with an offset or silicone spatula. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. I usually put a baking sheet on the rack under to catch any drips that come over during baking. When finished baking let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

  6. Buon Appetito and remember that this dish definitely goes good with wine ;)

Please remember to like this post, comment below and share with your friends :) Grazie!

cooking, fall recipes, gluten free cooking, gluten free recipes, comfort foodLonielle De Havenshepards pie, beef, mashed potatoes, irish dish, irish recipe, english recipe, peas, carrotsComment