Traditional Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef

A traditional Irish dish made with ground beef and vegetables in a savory seasoned gravy topped with mashed potatoes with a little melted cheese underneath. 

Let me (re)introduce you to one of the ultimate comfort foods…Shepherds Pie!

There isn’t a morsel left on anyone’s plate in my house when I make this for dinner.

Comfort food needs to have that .. well, feeling of comfort.  And there is no better way to get that than with delicious, fluffy mashed potatoes.

You can certainly make the potatoes ahead of time which would make this an easy weeknight meal.   One tip I do have, is I tend to use a little more milk and butter when making mashed potatoes for this recipe.   You don’t want dry potatoes for this.  Creamy is the key here.

HOW TO MAKE SHEPHERD’s (really Cottage) PIE:

1. Raw onions are a no no.  Sauté them first to soften them.   Keep the flame low so they don’t brown.    Next, add a little garlic and the ground beef and let it cook.  Sprinkle with flour.
2. Next add your beef stock and other wet ingredients.  At this point you want the dish to simmer for about 5-10 minutes so they gravy can thicken up a little bit.
3. Add your veggies.
4. Now this is where we get a little creative and add some CHEESE.  Traditionally cheese is NOT a part of Shepherds Pie, but hey why not, right?
5. And the final and most important step is the potatoes! Layered thick and high. Don’t skimp here.

I don’t know anyone who has said “that was good but had too many potatoes”. If you ever meet such a person please refer them to me. Otherwise I think we can ALL agree that there’s no such thing as too many potatoes.

Once your have your Shepherds Pie complete, just pop it under the broiler for about 5 minutes so those potatoes get all golden brown on top and dig in !

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Beef

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★★★★

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Description

A traditional Irish dish made with ground beef and vegetables in a savory seasoned gravy topped with mashed potatoes with a little melted cheese underneath.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 ½ – 2 Lbs. Ground Beef
• ½ Cup Onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp. Ketchup
• 1 Pkg Frozen mixed veggies (Corn, Carrots and Green Beans)
• 2 Tablespoons Flour (I use Bob Mills)
• 1 ½ Cups Beef stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4–6 Ounces Cheese, freshly grated (I use cheddar)

 

• Mashed potatoes (Between 1 ½ – 2 lbs)

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Instructions

1. Turn the broiler on to 500 ° F.
2. Add the oil to a large skillet and when hot, add the onion and sauté until it becomes translucent (about 4-5 min). Season with salt and pepper.  Keep the flame on low so the onion doesn’t brown.
3. Add the garlic and stir it around with the onion for about 1 minute.
4. Add your meat and once again season with salt and pepper.  Cook through, breaking up with a fork as it cooks. Drain if necessary.
5. Sprinkle the flour all around and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 -10 minutes or until the gravy thickens a bit.
6. Pour the beef mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and layer the vegetables on top of the meat mixture.
7. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
8. Top with the mashed potatoes, spreading evenly and covering all the meat and cheese.
9. Being that the meat is already cooked through, all that’s needed is to brown the potatoes. Carefully put your casserole dish under the broiler until the potatoes get a nice crust on top and turn golden brown.  This could take up to 5-10 minutes.

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