Ranch House Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s Pie has been around for ages; traditionally, it is made with lamb, but beef works equally well.

It is considered one of the great comfort foods by many and is a meal in itself as it contains protein, veggies, and a tasty gravy.

But if you want something a little extra, a Spinach Salad and some crusty bread will make for a filling, well-rounded meal. 

This recipe makes 4-6 servings.

 

Ingredients:

 

Potato Topping

1 ½ to 2 lbs. of white potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1/2'’ cubes

2 TBS butter

¼ cup milk

1 egg yolk

Filling:

1.5 lbs. ground sirloin or lamb

1 to 1 ¼ TBS olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cups fresh or frozen English peas

1 cup fresh or frozen carrots, diced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp rosemary

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp paprika (optional)

Gravy:

2 TBS flour

3 TBS butter

1 cup beef broth (Swanson 100% Natural Beef Broth – reduced sodium, works well)

Directions:

Potato Topping:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; carefully place the cubed potatoes in the pot and allow to cook until they are tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork but firm. Remove pot from stove and drain contents into a large colander. Once the cooking water has been drained place the potatoes back in the pot, add the butter, egg yolk, and milk; using a hand mixer mash the potatoes until the mixture is almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover pot and set aside.

Gravy:

In a small pan under low to medium heat, melt 3 TBS butter and then stir in flour, slowly stir in beef broth to create a gravy. Cover pan and set aside.

Filling:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place olive oil in a large skillet with the carrots and sauté until tender, add the onions and cook until they being to change color. Add the ground sirloin or lamb, cook on low heat, crumbling the ground meat as it cooks (if excess fat accumulates in pan, dip it out). Just before the meat has finished browning add the minced garlic.

Once the meat has browned (meaning it is no longer pink in color) add the gravy mixture to the skillet containing the meat and vegetables; add the peas, rosemary, thyme, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to mix well, and let mixture simmer for 5 minutes.

Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish with a small pat of butter to help prevent sticking. Spoon the meat and vegetable mixture evenly in the dish. Using a different spoon, spread the mashed potato mix evenly over the top of the meat and vegetable mixture fluffing the potato mixture to give it a slight meringue look.

If using paprika, sprinkle lightly over the top fluffed potato mixture and place the casserole dish in the preheated oven. If your casserole dish is extremely full, place dish on a cookie sheet or some aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips that might occur.

Bake for 20 minutes or just until the potatoes have turned a golden brown – whichever occurs first. Remove from oven and let cool 5 -10 minutes before serving.

Note: Easiest way to grease the casserole is place the small pat of butter in the dish and either with your fingers or a paper towel rub the butter all round inside the dish making sure you coat all surfaces inside the pan.