Herbed Shepherds Pie Recipes

THE BEST SHEPHERD'S PIE (COTTAGE PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Add the olive oil and diced onion to a 12" skillet and cook on medium heat.
• Once the onions have become soft and translucent (about 5 minutes) add the ground meat, dried parsley, rosemary, dried thyme and black pepper.
• Cook and crumble the meat until it is no longer pink.
• If you are using a lean ground beef, you shouldn't have much excess grease. However, if your meat did produce a lot of grease, be sure to drain most of it out and put it back into your pan.
• Then add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and tomato paste. Cook 5 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the frozen peas and carrots and the beef broth and combine well. At this point I like to taste it and see if it needs any additional salt and pepper.
• Cover pan and turn heat to low and start peeling potatoes. Cut them into small 1-2" pieces.
• Add to water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until potatoes are fork tender).
• Drain potatoes and add the sour cream, butter and ranch seasoning. Mash well until no lumps remain.
• Remove rosemary stalk and add meat mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes evenly.
• Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pie starts to bubble at the sides. I place a piece of foil or large baking sheet on the shelf underneath to catch any overspill.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), heat the butter over medium-high heat until bubbly. Add the onions, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. If you aren't using a nonstick pan, you can optionally allow the ingredients to brown on the bottom of the pan, deglazing periodically with a splash of water and scraping the brown bits up with a spatula. This will enhance the flavors.
• Add the meat, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, using a spatula or wooden spoon to break up meat, until browned, about 12 minutes. You can optionally continue deglazing with water during this time.
• Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cream and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in peas, and taste the gravy to see if it needs more salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a 3-quart casserole dish. (2 1/2 quarts will be fine as well).
• Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position, then preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan, then mash with the cream, butter and yolk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon dollops of mashed potatoes over the filling, then use a spatula to create a smooth, even layer. Drag a fork across top to add texture.
• Bake until filling is bubbling around the sides, about 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and let the top develop a brown crust (this can take anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch closely to prevent burning).
• Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. For best results, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours or prepare the night beforehand, so the flavors have a chance to mingle. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 25-35 minutes, or until warmed through (cover the top of the casserole dish with foil to prevent drying out). You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave. Enjoy leftovers within 1 week.

HERBED CHICKEN SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir chicken, chiles, rosemary, and thyme into onion mixture. Cook and stir until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk together in a saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Spread green beans into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish and pour chicken mixture over the beans. Top chicken layer with cream of chicken soup mixture and spoon mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and basil over the mashed potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are lightly golden and casserole is heated through, about 20 minutes.

HERBED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 cup broth, bay leaves, cloves, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; cook 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, chives and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in cheese; keep warm., Add vegetables and remaining salt to the beef mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk flour and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Discard bay leaves and cloves., Transfer beef mixture to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 10 minutes or until heated through.

ENGLISH COTTAGE-SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is very well browned, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and package of frozen peas & carrots. Stir well and heat through.
• To the meat mixture, add the gravy packet and 1 1/4 cups water or dry red wine, the rosemary & thyme, and the black pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 2-3 minutes (gravy mixture will thicken when cool).
• Turn beef mixture into a greased large and deep casserole dish (I use the crock liner of my 4 quart crock pot). Top with potatoes, cheese and tomato slices.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
• Serve with Parmesan cheese for topping at the table, along with a glass of cider or ale (we like Guinness Extra Stout), if desired!
• Note: To freeze, omit the cheese and tomato. Do not bake. To cook, defrost in refrigerator overnight, add cheese and tomato, and bake as directed, adding about 20 minutes to the baking time to compensate for the chilled food.

CLASSIC, SAVORY SHEPHERD'S PIE (WITH BEEF AND/OR LAMB) RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Mashed Potatoes: Set cubed potatoes in a colander and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Season water with salt until almost as salty as the sea. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until a knife easily pierces potatoes with no resistance, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, then rinse with hot running water for 30 seconds. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, for the Meat Sauce: Place stock in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, sprinkle with gelatin, and set aside.
• To Assemble and Bake: Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Before assembling, heat cream in a large saucepan until simmering. Add potatoes and stir gently until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Potatoes are now ready for assembly.
• Transfer to oven and bake until top is browned and casserole is fully heated through, about 20 minutes. For deeper browning, place casserole on a rack set about 6 inches under a hot broiler for the last few moments of cooking. (Monitor closely to prevent potatoes from burning.)
• Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Casserole can be assembled, wrapped with plastic, and refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F (180°C) oven for about 35 minutes, then use broiler to brown top.