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Temperatures are starting to drop, summer is over and soon enough there will be glorious chilly days that call for hot and hearty dinners. Shepherd’s pie (or shepards pie as some call it), is one of my favorite recipes for this time of the year.

It is not only delicious, but also very easy to make. This easy Shepherd’s pie recipe comes together really quickly, but feels like a slow cooked meal.

There are lots of Shepherd’s pie recipes out there and I have tried several, but this one is my favorite. Some people use lamb or a combination of lamb and beef, but I like to use lean ground beef to avoid those extra calories!

WHAT IS SHEPHERD’S PIE?

Name: SHEPHERD’S PIE
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: MEAT MIXTURE:; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ½ white onion, chopped; 1 lb 93% lean ground beef; 1 tablespoon dried parsley; ½ teaspoon dried rosemary; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 cup beef broth; ½ cup frozen carrots; ½ cup frozen peas; ½ cup frozen corn kernels; POTATO PUREE TOPPING:; 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes; ½ stick butter; ⅓ cup half and half or ¼ cup heavy cream; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ cup Parmesan cheese, divided; Salt and pepper to taste

The recipe for Shepherd’s pie has been around since the late 1700 or early 1800, and it was developed by Irish housewives looking for ways to use leftovers and make a brand new meal out of them. It was originally made using ground lamb meat. Nowadays, beef is more widely used for convenience. A meat and veggie mixture with gravy is topped with mashed potatoes and then baked until everything is hot and bubbly. If you haven’t tried it, please do so.

HOW TO MAKE SHEPHERD’S PIE?

One of the great things about Shepherd’s Pie with beef is the fact that it is a complete meal, baked “casserole style” so you can take it from the oven to the table. It has protein, veggies and carbs all in one dish.

Chopped onion is sauteed with a little olive oil and then ground beef is added and cooked until browned. You then mix in Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, dried rosemary, thyme and parsley, salt, pepper and beef broth to make a gravy that is thickened with a little flour. In a baking dish, the meat mixture is placed as a bottom layer and topped with a layer of homemade mashed potatoes made with a little half and half, butter, garlic and onion powders, and Parmesan cheese for flavor. All this is baked until bubbly and brown.

I like to add some extra Parmesan cheese on top for flavor and color.

CAN I MAKE SHEPHERD’S PIE AHEAD OF TIME AND HOW DO I STORE ANY LEFTOVERS?

The great thing about this recipe is you can make it easy on yourself and make the meat mixture ahead of time, refrigerate it for a couple of days before using it, or even freeze it for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake your pie, just take it out of the fridge or thaw it the night before if frozen, and the dish will come together in no time.

If you really don’t have much time to cook, helping yourself by using instant mashed potatoes is really no crime. Not many of us have the time to make mashed potatoes from scratch. Just add a little flavor to them using onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper, butter, heavy cream or half and half and Parmesan cheese. We won’t tell on you!

If you have any pie leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 4 months. Just make sure you place the leftovers in an airtight container.

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SHEPHERD’S PIE

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

The best recipe for shepherd's pie, a classic Ground beef recipe prepared with vegetables in a flavorful sauce, cooked with cheesy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

MEAT MIXTURE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion, chopped
1 lb 93% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup beef broth
½ cup frozen carrots
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen corn kernels
POTATO PUREE TOPPING:
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
½ stick butter
⅓ cup half and half or ¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the chopped onion until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until brown.
Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, tomato paste, dried parsley, thyme, and rosemary and flour.
Pour in the beef broth, add the veggies, and simmer until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place aside and make the mashed potato topping.
Peel and cut the potatoes into one inch cubes and boil for about 15 mins or until soft.
Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the butter, half and half, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and mix until smooth.
In a 9x9 inch baking dish (or 7x11), place the meat mixture as a first layer.
Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese on top. Bake on a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Notes

-When browning the meat, make sure to break it apart so you aren’t left with big clumps of cooked beef.
-Let the pie cool for about 15 mins before serving so the gravy settles a little bit.
-After adding the flour and broth to the meat mixture, make sure to stir it well so there are no lumps in the gravy.
-Add salt and pepper to the meat mixture after it has simmered for a few minutes. The gravy will reduce a little bit and if you add them from the beginning, it might be too salty after it has reduced.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/6th of the recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 751mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

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