Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty meal. The dish has a filling made with beef and vegetables and it’s topped with mashed potatoes. What could be better than a casserole full of winter comfort?
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie wasn’t something I ate as child. When I started dating Tara it was something her mom made. When I first had it, I knew I had to make it myself. I asked for the recipe. She typed it up for me and emailed it to me.
When I found out one of the main ingredients in her recipe I couldn’t believe it. It was a Coleman’s seasoning packet!! I couldn’t remember ever remember seeing a Coleman’s seasoning packet at the store for shepherd’s pie and was really surprised. She said she had a hard time finding it in the stores would usually order it online from Amazon.
The Packet Ingredients
Now that most of the meals I make at home are gluten free, the packet is a thing of the past. There’s wheat and barley malt in the seasoning. I studied the ingredients on the packet, tweaking as needed and recreated my version of the hard to find seasoning packet.
A Few Notes About Shepherd’s Pie
The Veggies – I always have onion, peas, carrots and mushrooms in my shepherd’s pie. The green beans and corn get used only if they are already on hand in the freezer. Make it your own dish and use what your family likes for vegetables. Try hiding new ones in the mix for your kids to try. Tara is not a fan of sweet potatoes but I once hid one in the casserole. I had diced it up to look like the carrots. She never knew about it until a few weeks later when I told her mom what I had done. Tara’s mom and I were amused about my sneaky add in. Tara was not.
The Rosemary – It’s a strong herb but don’t leave it out. It’s one of the ingredients in the store bought packet that stands out but does not overpower the dish.
The Casserole Dish – A 9×13 dish will give you a thinner shepherds pie. I like to use one slightly smaller like this 11×7 dish to get a better beefy filling to potato topping ratio.
Freezer Friendly – This is a great make ahead meal. Double the ingredients and make an extra for your freezer or for giving to a friend.
- After assembling the dish, do not add cheese to the top of the potatoes and don’t bake it.
- Once cooled, wrap the casserole first in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.
- Freeze.
- To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Bake uncovered at 375° for 45-60 minutes until the filling bubbles and is heated through.
- Top with cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
- 1 ½-2 lbs. Ground Beef
- 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
- 1 Large Carrot, Chopped
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 4 oz. Can of Mushrooms,stems and pieces, drained
- ½ Cup of Frozen Peas, slightly thawed
- ½ Cup of Frozen Green Beans, slightly thawed
- ½ Cup of Frozen Corn,slightly thawed. You could also used canned corn, drained.
- ½ Cup of Ketchup
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 ½ tsp. Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ½ tsp Fresh Rosemary,Finely Chopped (or ¾ tsp dried, crushed)
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 Tbs. Fresh Parsley, Chopped
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 1 Recipe of Crazy Good Mashed Potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Whisk 1 ½ tsp of cornstarch into beef broth and set aside.
- Heat Olive Oil over Medium High heat in a large sauté pan that has a lid.
- When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned.
- Drain beef, if needed, and return to pan.
- Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to the pan.
- Sauté until the carrots and onions are slightly softened.
- Add ketchup and worcestershire sauce and stir well.
- Add beef broth and cornstarch to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Add peas, green beans, and corn and warm through.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and turn off the heat.
- Transfer beef filling to a large casserole dish. **See notes.
- Top the beef filling with the potatoes. **See notes for tricks on spreading the potatoes.
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until the filling starts to bubble.
- Remove from oven and top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. I like cheddar or a blend of yellow cheeses.
- Return shepherd’s pie to the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Serve with a side salad, like Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad, and dinner rolls.
