Shepherd’s Pie makes a hearty winter meal
The rich flavors of lamb and vegetables topped with steaming potatoes are guaranteed to bring your family running to the table. And with this step-by-step recipe, learning how to make Shepherds Pie is easy.
The first step is to make the mashed potatoes.
Mashed Potato Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of water from boiling potatoes
- Scrub the potatoes and cut into chunks.
- Put in a large pot with enough water to cover. Add 1 tsp salt to the water
- Boil until potatoes are tender, and drain (reserving 1/2 cup of the water)
- Mash the potatoes with the reserved water, butter and season to taste
Filling Ingredients
Preheat oven to 400?F
3 Tbs.vegetable oil
1 large onion coarsely diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 pound ground lamb
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup beef broth
salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Paprika
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- Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and stir until the vegetables are coated.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about fifteen minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground lamb. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart while cooking so it doesn’t form large chunks..
- Continue stirring the mixture, cooking until the lamb is no longer pink (about five minutes.)
- Tilt the pot to allow the excess fat to run to one corner. Drain or spoon off the excess fat.
- Add the flour to the mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring
- Add the beef stock, herbs and spices, then continue to cook while stirring until the liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Pour the meat mixture into a large casserole or baking pan, and cover the meat and vegeatble mixture with the mashed potatoes and fluff the top of the potatoes with a fork
- Dot butter over the top of the potatoes, then cover with a generous sprinkling amount of paprika.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes, remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving
What to serve with your Shepherd’s Pie
Once you’ve learned how to make Shepherd’s Pie, you’ll need to plan the rest of the meal. ‘
The good news is that this filling dish is nearly a complete meal in one pan. A simple salad or some fruit would be all you need to add to make it into a hearty and healthy supper.