Ah, the humble Shepherd’s pie. It is a comfy dish that almost everyone I’ve met enjoys. Traditionally, it comes from England and is made with lamb. That’s exactly how I make Shepherd’s pie at home – using lamb. Although, I know many people prefer to use beef instead. But why mess with it if my family enjoys the classic version so much, right?
Regardless of what you use, Shepherd’s Pie is made using a mixture of ground meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and then is baked in the oven until you’ve reached golden perfection.
Tips for making the perfect Shepherd’s pie
Be patient with the lamb. Or beef. You don’t want a runny meat mixture that sits at the bottom of your casserole dish. Otherwise, you’ll be having a wet mop for dinner. You want to cook the meat and vegetables until the consistency resembles a bolognese.
Use golden or russet potatoes. Red potatoes don’t work quite as well here. I think meat and potatoes make a classic pair and lamb goes so well with golden or russet potatoes.
Do not overbake. Because both layers are already completely cooked (the meat and the mashed potatoes), you don’t want the dish to be in the oven for too long. Just long enough to bring everything together and for it to set. 20 minutes should be enough.
If you want a crispy, golden top, broil for a few minutes. Don’t wait for that golden-brown crust by prolonging the cooking process. Instead, crank up your oven to broil and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Voila!
You’ve got to try this classic Shepherd’s Pie! It is absolutely delicious!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- egg yolks
- unsalted butter
- dill
- garlic
- lamb
- potatoes
- rosemary
- thyme
- parmesan cheese
- red wine
- carrots
- onion
- chicken stock
- heavy cream
- olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- tomato puree
- salt & pepper
Steps
Turn oven on 350F.
Peel and cut potato, then boil in a pot until cooked.
In a pan, heat up 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, add in the minced lamb, salt, and pepper.
After lamb has started to brown up and there isn’t much oil left, add in the grated carrots and onion.
Stir and fry on medium, then add in the minced garlic.
Add in 2 Tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, and herbs into the lamb mix.
Add 1 cup of red wine, stir and sauté everything well, then add the chicken stock.
While lamb is cooking, take your boiled potatoes drain them.
Mash the potatoes and add in the egg yolks.
Add in unsalted butter, heavy cream, parmesan cheese ,and salt to taste.
Lamb mix should start to get thicker.
In an oven safe dish, put the lamb mix on the bottom of the dish.
On top of the lamb, carefully add the potato puree.
Sprinkler a little of parmesan cheese on top and a pinch of black pepper.
Fluff the potatoes with a fork, put in oven for 20 mins.
Enjoy! (You could broil for couple minutes to get a brown-looking top.)
How to make a Shepherds Pie
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 handful dill (chopped)
- 2 garlic (minced)
- 1 lb lamb, minced (ground)
- 3 yellow potatoes (chopped)
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ cup red wine
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 3 carrots (grated)
- 1 onion (grated)
- 10 oz chicken stock
- ¼ heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp tomato puree
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Turn oven on 350F.
Peel and cut potato, then boil in a pot until cooked.
In a pan, heat up 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, add in the minced lamb, salt, and pepper.
After lamb has started to brown up and there isn’t much oil left, add in the grated carrots and onion.
Stir and fry on medium, then add in the minced garlic.
Add in 2 Tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, and herbs into the lamb mix.
Add 1 cup of red wine, stir and sauté everything well, then add the chicken stock.
While lamb is cooking, take your boiled potatoes drain them.
Mash the potatoes and add in the egg yolks.
Add in unsalted butter, heavy cream, parmesan cheese ,and salt to taste.
Lamb mix should start to get thicker.
In an oven safe dish, put the lamb mix on the bottom of the dish.
On top of the lamb, carefully add the potato puree.
Sprinkler a little of parmesan cheese on top and a pinch of black pepper.
Fluff the potatoes with a fork, put in oven for 20 mins.
Enjoy! (You could broil for couple minutes to get a brown-looking top.)
Equipment Used
Nutrition Facts
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