Shepherd’s Pie

Though this timeless classic is traditionally made with lamb, using beef mince instead in this Shepherd’s Pie recipe still makes for a tasty meal. One that you will make over and over again! Here in Australia, Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb ( shepherd = lamb) while Cottage Pie is made with beef.

What is Shepherd’s Pie?

Shepherd’s Pie is a delicious casserole that makes a great, filling meal after a hard-days work or to warm you up on a cool night. This easy to make comfort food has a lamb mince base that is filled with vegetables and smothered with gravy. Then topped with a delicious mashed potato topping and crunchy parmesan cheese.

Making Shepherd’s Pie

This delicious pie is started with a lovely base of onion, garlic, carrots and celery that is sautéed over a medium heat.

Once this is done, the ground mince is added and cooked, then comes the gravy.

The mixture is then simmered until the sauce is thickened before being poured into a baking dish.

After topping the base with the creamy mashed potato, it is baked until golden and crispy.

Tips for Making Shepherd’s Pie

• After cooking the mince filling, you can cool it in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight. This will help stop the potato from weeping into the filling and makes spreading the potato easier. You can also pop the mince filling into the freezer while you make the potato topping.
• Thicken the sauce to your desired consistency while cooking the filling. It will not thicken any more. The consistency that you pour it into the baking dish at, is the consistency that it will be when it is finished cooking.
• If your potatoes are a bit watery, make sure that you drain them properly and that you allow the potatoes to steam as this will help decrease the amount of water in the potatoes when mashing.
• Other vegetables can be used, such as grated zucchini, spinach or frozen mixed vegetables.
• For a gluten free option, take out the plain flour and use a mixture of cornflour with a small amount of water instead. Also, check your Worcestershire sauce as it may not be gluten-free. If not, leave it out.
• This recipe can be made ahead. Just assemble and refrigerate or freeze and bake when needed. It will take longer to cook, when baked from a frozen state. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

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Shepherd's Pie

This timeless classic is traditionally made with lamb, using beef mince instead in this Shepherd's Pie recipe still makes for a tasty meal.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

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Pie Base

• 750g (1.5 lb) Lamb or Beef Mince
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
• ¼ cup (35g) Plain Flour
• ¼ cup (55g) Tomato Paste
• 2 cups (500ml) Beef Broth/Stock
• ½ cup (125ml) Water or Red Wine
• 1 Cube Beef Bouillon, crumbled
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mashed Potato

• 1.2 kg (2.2 lb) Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1 " cubes
• ⅔ cup (165ml) Milk
• 2 TBSP (30g) Butter
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 TBSP Parmesan, grated
• 1-2 tsp Thyme Leaves, optional

Instructions

 

Pie Mince Mixture

• Over medium heat, heat oil in a large frypan or saucepan.
• Add the diced onion, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the carrots, celery, parsley, thyme and rosemary to the pot and continue to cook for 3 minutes until softened.
• Turn up the heat to high and add the mince. Break up the mince as it browns.
• Mix in the plain flour.
• Add the tomato paste, broth, red wine (or water), bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce and stir well.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, then decrease the heat slightly so that it is simmering rapidly.
• Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches a consistency of thick gravy.
• Stir through peas.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mashed Potatoes

• Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft.
• Drain then return to the pot, allowing them to steam dry for around 1 minute.
• Add the butter and mash until melted and mixed through.
• Add the milk, salt and pepper. Mash until mixed through. The mixture should be soft and smooth, but not slopping. More milk can be added, if needed.

Assembling the Pie

• Preheat oven to 180˚C or 350˚F.
• Transfer the mince mixture to a baking dish - around 7x11 inch.
• Gently spread the mash onto the top of the mince and use a fork to draw on the surface.
• Sprinkle with parmesan and thyme.
• Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling around the edges.
• Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

 

• After cooking the mince filling, you can cool it in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight. This will help stop the potato from weeping into the filling and makes spreading the potato easier. You can also pop the mince filling into the freezer while you make the potato topping.
• Thicken the sauce to your desired consistency while cooking the filling. It will not thicken any more. The consistency that you pour it into the baking dish at, is the consistency that it will be when it is finished cooking.
• If your potatoes are a bit watery, make sure that you drain them properly and that you allow the potatoes to steam as this will help decrease the amount of water in the potatoes when mashing.
• Other vegetables can be used, such as grated zucchini, spinach or frozen mixed vegetables.
• For a gluten free option, take out the plain flour and use a mixture of cornflour with a small amount of water instead. Also, check your Worcestershire sauce as it may not be gluten-free. If not, leave it out.
• This recipe can be made ahead. Just assemble and refrigerate or freeze and bake when needed. It will take longer to cook, when baked from a frozen state. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Keyword Mince, Shepherd's Pie

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