Getting Cozy with Shepherd’s Pie

Depending on who you ask, the origin of Shepherd’s pie is Ireland, Scotland, or England. 

Either way, the concept of the creation remains the same. Shepherd’s pie was built to utilize leftovers, while simultaneously creating something hearty as the colder months of the year crept in. 

The ingredients are approachable , and inexpensive. I have an appreciation for recipes that show up this way, as they provide room for adjusting with seasonal ingredients. This is a meal begging to be made in a larger pan, easily allowing for leftovers which can be frozen. I often make this in a round Dutch oven, or a rectangular 9×13 inch pan. However, the biggest twist on this has been to reserve a bit of each ingredient and assemble a few into a cupcake pan. These freeze well for weeks and are a great trail snack. 

Traditionally, the pie is made with ground lamb , or beef. Peas and carrots are historically the vegetable of choice, but any vegetable will work. The telltale finishing touch is mashed potatoes on top. In a nutshell it looks like saucy ground beef, peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes.

I usually gravitate towards ground turkey, lemon zest, and kale. I add celery root, and turmeric to my mashed potatoes and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese on top before baking. It’s a vibe for sure, and full disclosure, I have had dinner guests tell me it was an aggressively healthy Shepherd’s pie. I’ll happily take that as a complement. My point here is to encourage creativity and put your own twist on things.

The classic version is where we will focus for the purpose of this article. Once the Shepherd’s pie is built, it can easily be frozen for up to a month with out baking. Once baked, feel free to do the same. Either way, be sure to wrap it nice and tight before doing so. 

Let’s see what Stephanie has to say.

I too, am a fan of Shepherd’s pie. Like Kelly, I’ve put my own twist on it, with my favorite being the use of purple potatoes or sweet potatoes to jazz up the flavor and presentation.  I like this dish because it’s easy to make and feels like putting on a warm, cozy sweater when you eat it. It’s also really balanced between carbohydrate, protein, and fat- so you can just serve the pie for dinner- no sides necessary. Shepherd’s pie is also rich in micronutrients, mostly due to the protein and vegetables. As Kelly mentioned, mix it up- use any vegetable that you like. Sometimes frozen peas and carrots can be an easy shortcut, while still retaining much of the nutrient density of the vegetables. My personal favorite combination is ground elk (I was spoiled living in Oregon), carrots, peas, fennel, leek, and topped with purple mashed potato and gruyere cheese (there’s my European addition!). But you can use anything that’s in season or available. Since it can be made in bulk and with very few ingredients, this dish is economical in terms of time and money. A great swap to make this vegetarian is to use lentils instead of ground meat for the protein.

Shepherd’s Pie

Preheat oven to 400F

We like a 7×11, 9×9, or a large round pan. Whatever pan you choose, make sure the sides are deep enough to hold all the ingredients, as well as the mashed potatoes. 

Make your favorite mashed potatoes. You need about 4 cups of mash to top off the pie.  Two pounds of potatoes is great. 

Recipe:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground protein (beef, turkey, lamb, lentils, etc.)
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 cup red onion small diced
• ½ cup carrots small diced
• ½ cup celery small diced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flake
• 5-6 turns ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup broth (beef, chicken, veggie, etc)
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• ½ cup shredded cheese (any kind)

Method:

• Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, deep pan. Brown the ground protein.  Add the chopped celery, onion, carrots and garlic, and sauté on medium heat for ten minutes.
• Add salt, paprika, and pepper. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until it smells roasted (about 1 minute). Add the broth and mix well. Simmer on medium heat for 1 minute and add the peas. 
• Remove from heat, and transfer everything into your baking dish.
• Add the finished mashed potatoes and spread evenly on top.
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes