Shepherd’s Pie

This ain’t your average Shepherd’s Pie, this one’s got southern charm baked right in. Rich gravy, sweet veggies, tender meat, and a mashed potato blanket that’ll hug you better than your favorite quilt.

Shepherd’s Pie

For the potatoes:

2-3 lbs russet potatoes

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 stick salted butter, softened

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

For the meat filling:

2 TBSP roasted garlic olive oil, or plain 

2 lbs ground meat, I used ground beef, pork and veal

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk of celery diced small

1/2 yellow onion diced

1 cup baby Bella mushrooms, diced small

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 TBSP all purpose flour

2 tsp tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried Thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 cup canned peas, drained

1/2 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained

Peel and chop up potatoes.  Place in a large saucepan and cover with water and add about 2 tsp salt.  Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Let boil, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.  Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain them and return them to the pot.  Add  the butter, heavy cream, salt and pepper and mash them up until they are creamy and mostly smooth. Set the potatoes aside while we make the filling.  

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a large cast iron skillet, over med/high heat add the roasted garlic olive oil.  Once the oil shimmers, add the meat, season it with salt and pepper and cook it, until nice and brown and cooked thru, then remove it from the pan and set it aside.  Add another TBSP of oil and then sauté the onion, celery and carrots for a couple of minutes.  Then add in the mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.  Add in the garlic and stir, then add in the flour and stir that around allowing it to cook for a couple minutes.  Now, add the meat back into the pan with the veggies and stir everything together.  Add in the tomato paste, the Worcestershire sauce,  dried thyme, and dried rosemary and stir all of that around.  Now add the beef broth, making sure to scrape up all those yummy bits off the bottom, that’s flavor y’all, and give it a good stir to get everything combined.  Ok, add in the peas and the corn, one more good stir and your filling is done.  

Now, add those yummy potatoes to the top of that meat filling and spread out evenly so that everything is covered with potatoes.  I like to use a fork to make ridges on top, but you don’t have to.  I also like a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.  Ok, now place all that goodness in your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Here’s a tip, that pan is so full that as it bakes it could bubble over, so set your skillet on a baking sheet to catch anything that bubbles out.  Ok y’all, once it’s baked, let it cool about 15 minutes, then serve up a big bowl and enjoy!!