Elizabeths Shepherds Pie Recipes

EASY SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with cold water and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
• While potatoes are cooking, sauté the diced onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet until softened (about 2 minutes). Add the ground beef and sauté until JUST fully cooked, breaking it up with a spoon into small pieces (about 5-7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don't overcook it or it will be dry (see notes).
• When potatoes are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork, drain, and mash with 4 tablespoons butter and the milk (3/4 cup). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Layer ground beef mixture, frozen vegetables, and mashed potatoes in a 9x13 baking dish. Alternatively, divide the ingredients into two smaller baking dishes to freeze one (see notes).
• Use the back of a spoon to smooth the potatoes, leaving some ridges, or use a fork to "rake" a ridged pattern into the potatoes.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter and drizzle evenly on top of potatoes.
• Bake at 425° F for approximately 30 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown. Run the broiler for the last 5 minutes for extra crispy potatoes.

SHEPHERD'S PIE VI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
• Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

ELIZABETH'S SHEPHERDS PIE

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes.
• Add to pot of cold water, bringing to a boil.
• Boil 25 minutes or until soft.
• Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of potato water.
• Mash with butter and milk adding salt and pepper to taste.
• Set aside.
• Meanwhile, fry your ground beef, carrots and onion together until beef is browned.
• Drain grease.
• Add meat mixture back to pan.
• To your meat mixture add 2 crumbled OXO cubes, brown gravy powder, Worcestershire and 1 cup potato water.
• Mix all together and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are soft.
• Place meat mix in large greased oven proof bowl, topping with mashed potatoes.
• Using a fork, make criss-cross lines on top of your potatoes.
• Bake 25 minutes.
• Add cheese to top and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
• Serve with HP sauce or any English brown sauce.
• Any leftovers are great fried up with a bit of butter.

EASY SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F.

NO-FUSS SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a medium saucepan, then soften 1 chopped onion and 2-3 chopped carrots for a few mins.
• When soft, turn up the heat, crumble in 500g lamb mince and brown, tipping off any excess fat.
• Add 2 tbsp tomato purée and a large splash of Worcestershire sauce, then fry for a few mins.
• Pour over 500ml beef stock, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 mins, uncovering halfway.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, then make the mash. Boil the 900g potato, cut into chunks, in salted water for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain, then mash with 85g butter and 3 tbsp milk.
• Put the mince into an ovenproof dish, top with the mash and ruffle with a fork. The pie can now be chilled and frozen for up to a month.
• Bake for 20-25 mins until the top is starting to colour and the mince is bubbling through at the edges. (To bake from frozen, cook at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins until piping hot in the centre. Flash under the grill to brown, if you like.)
• Leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, deep sauté pan or saucepan. Tip in the onion and thyme sprigs and fry for 2-3 mins. Then add the carrots and fry together for 5-8 mins, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to brown. Stir in the mince to break it down. Fry for 1-2 mins until no longer pink. Stir in the flour, scraping the bottom of the pan in case the meat sticks, then cook for another 1-2 mins. Pour in the stock and stir until thickened. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, lentils and Worcestershire sauce and season with pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Drop all the potatoes into a large pan of boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 mins or until the potatoes are tender. Drain well in a colander then tip back into the pan. Mash with a masher or, briefly, with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Beat in the crème fraîche and milk with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Spoon the meat into a 1.5 litre pie dish and remove the thyme sprigs. Top with the mash and smooth over with a knife. Use a fork to create a ridged pattern on top. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 mins until piping hot and the filling starts to bubble around the edges. If the top is not brown enough, pop it under the grill for 5 mins or so until the mash is crisp and golden. Let it sit for 5 mins then serve.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance.
• In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using a masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Mix in the hot butter mixture, just until blended. Stir in the Cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large oven-safe skillet with high sides or an enameled cast-iron braiser (at least 2 1/2-quart capacity) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and the lamb and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. (At this point, you can drain off some of the excess fat if you like.) Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it is well combined, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened slightly. Stir in the parsley and remove the thyme and rosemary stems. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Top the meat mixture with dollops of the mashed potatoes then spread them out over the top. (Or transfer the meat mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish and spread into an even layer, and top with potatoes.) Transfer to the oven and, if the mixture is at the top edges of your pan, set a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any drips. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

ELK SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two, then mash with salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons butter, and half-and-half; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, stir together the elk meat, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Spread the cooked elk meat into a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish and return the skillet to the stove over medium heat.
• Place the onion, parsnip, and garlic powder in the skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until the turnip has softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mixed vegetables and cook an additional 5 minutes, then spread in the pie plate over the elk. Finally, spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top, and brush the melted butter on the potatoes.
• Bake in preheated oven until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.