Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie is the quintessential dish of the British Isles, and one of the oldest. It’s the standard of British home cooking, and can be found on almost any menu in this region of Europe.

Originally crafted from whatever was laying around and left over (Shepherd’s Pie has many varieties), this is a traditional take on the classic.

Ingredients

Potato Layer

2-3 large russet potatoes

¼ cup half and half or cream

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 Tablespoons butter

Pinch of black pepper

Meat Layer

¾ to 1 cup ground beef

½ an onion, diced

¾ cup mini carrots, sliced in half

1 cup beef broth

1 garlic clove, minced.

Slurry

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons water

Directions

Cook the Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice.

Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Taste your mashed potatoes and add more cream, salt, or butter until desired creaminess.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the Beef

While potatoes are simmering, put a pan on medium heat. Add the beef broth, beef, diced onions, garlic, and carrots to the pan.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

After the beef has cooked for 15 minutes, make your slurry by mixing 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons hot water.

Add the slurry to the simmering beef. Let the mixture thicken for 2-3 minutes.

*The beef should not be sitting in the broth like soup, it should look more like a thick gravy.

Assemble the Layers

Spread the beef, onions, and vegetables in an even layer in a greased baking dish.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef.

Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned.

Baking

Place in a 350°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 25-30 minutes.

If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown.