My inspiration for dinner for tonight came in a very unusual way. Today we had our HUGE mirrored living room wall replaced. (But THAT Dear Readers, is ANOTHER story!) And when I told one of the great installers I had a pie baking he asked if it was a Shepherd’s pie. I told him no…it was an Amish dessert. (And THAT is ANOTHER story for later!) But the mere mention of Shepherd’s Pie made me feel like I hit the jackpot since I knew I already had ALL the ingredients here to whip one up for dinner. I even had leftover garlic mashed potatoes in the frig!
It’s WINTER up North, but here in our snowbird nest in Fort Lauderdale the air conditioners are humming and the ceiling fans are turning. But spending Winter in the Tropis doesn’t stop us from craving our favorite comfort foods.
These photos were taken in my Heartland kitchen several years ago…but the Shepherd’s Pie recipe is still the same. And this Shepherd’s Pie will warm you up wherever you are tonight!
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| Start CHOPPING! |
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| Boil Potatoes With Garlic Cloves and Salt |
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| Drain, Mash, and Add 1 or 2 Egg Yolks, Parmesan Cheese, Milk and Butter. Set Aside. |
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| Brown the Ground Beef And Remove From Pan |
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| In Same Pan Saute Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Salt and Pepper |
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| Saute the Tomato Paste. The browned ‘bits” are a GOOD thing! (It makes rich sauce later.) |
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| Add Red Wine…and DRINK SOME TOO! 🙂 |
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| Ahhh…A Veggie/Wine Steam Facial… |
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| Add Beef Broth…Cook til Al Dente and Reduced |
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| Add Browned Ground Beef |
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| Add Mushrooms And Cook Several Minutes |
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| Add Frozen Peas…Stir and Immediately Pour Into Casserole Dish |
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| I Made Enough for TWO Meals…Eat One…Freeze One |
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| Bake At 375 Degrees for about 20 Min. BE SURE TO PLACE ON TRAY |
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| YUM… |
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| Serve With A Salad… |
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| A Real COMFORT MEAL…WHEREVER you are! |
Shepherd's Pie
Top this pie with fresh or leftover mashed potatoes mixed with egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. This One Dish Wonder will warm you up from the inside out!
Ingredients
- Mashed Potatoes (Fresh Or Leftovers!)
- 1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
- 3-4 stalks Celery, Diced into 1/2 inch Pieces
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced (or To Taste)
- 3-4 Large Carrots, Peeled and Cut Into Chuncks
- 1 Medium Onion, Diced
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme (Or a Tablespoon fresh Leaves)
- 1/2 box (Or More) Portabello Mushrooms, Sliced
- 1 Cup Frozen Peas
- 2 to 3 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 to 3 Tblsps. Tomato Paste
- Fresh Parsley, Chopped (or Dry if all you have)
- About 1/2 Cup Red Wine (I use Cabernet)
- 1 Tblsp (or more) Worcestershire Sauce
- FOR THE TOPPING: Mashed Potatoes
- 1 or 2 Egg Yolks
- Parmesan Cheese
- Milk
- Butter
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
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PREPARE THE TOPPING
Prepare mashed potatoes with butter and milk. Make them with garlic or just plain. Use leftovers or fresh. Then add one or two egg yolks (depending on how many potatoes you used.) Add some Parmesan Cheese. Mix and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large skillet brown ground beef and remove from pan. In the same pan combine onion, garlic, celery, carrots and thyme and "sweat" the mixture until beginning to soften. Make a "well" in the middle of the veggies and add the tomato paste so it touches the bottom of the pan. Cook it and stir for several minutes. (This will "cook" the paste and will remove the "tin can taste" from the tomato paste. Stir in the red wine and cook for several minutes to reduce and to remove alcohol taste. Return the beef to the skillet and add the beef broth, mushrooms and fresh parsley. Cook for two minutes then add the frozen peas. Stir all together to combine. Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with the mashed potato mixture. Drag the tines of a fork over the top to make tiny ridges. This helps the top of the "pie" to brown properly. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Remove from the oven and allow to "set" for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Serve with a big salad...and ENJOY!
When I make shephards pie and freeze them, I always seem to have a very runny liquid when I thaw them. Is this normal? I always end up spooning out the liquid. I add mushroom soup to mine instead of the sauce you make.
Thanks
Mashed potatoes always release liquid and become rather grainy when frozen. That’s why I rarely freeze them in any form. You might try freezing your pie without the potato topping and adding that layer right before baking. Good luck!!
XOXO
Meemaw