Shepherd's Pie

My mother's side of the family is Scotch Irish. Every year growing up we attended the Scottish Games and watched the caber toss, the highland dancing, and ate the food. I will admit a LOT of the food was not the healthiest or the most appetizing. Have you tried haggis? There is something about a stuffed sheep stomach that just turns me off. I think you could stuff dark chocolate truffles inside a sheep stomach and any chocolate lover would be turned off but stuff a sheep stomach with a sheep liver, heart, and tongue and it takes a trained stomach to to stomach that sheep stomach. 

One of the amazing cuisines I enjoyed was Shepherd's Pie. Shepard's Pie is a whole meal and comfort food and I love it. Creamy mashed potatoes with veggies and meat smothered in gravy is a taste of home to me. This recipe is my quick and easy one. On a special occasion I will substitute the ground beef for a nice cut of steak and it makes this meal all the better but for my every day menu ground sirloin is a great choice and my family happily eats this dish up!

Ingredients

Potatoes

1lb russet potatoes

1/4 cup whole milk

1 T unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. salt

2 T sour cream

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Meat Filling

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove

1 lb ground sirloin 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 T tomato paste

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and pierce the potatoes with a fork. Bake the potatoes, with skin on, for approximately one hour or until tender when a fork is inserted. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then mash with a fork until smooth in a large mixing bowl.

2. Combine potatoes with the whole milk, butter, salt, sour cream, and black pepper. Stir until combined and set aside.

3. Place the olive oil in a large saute pan and set over medium high heat. Wait until the oil is heated (it will shimmer) then add the onions and carrots and saute for about 4 minutes or until slightly tender. Toss the garlic in and give the pan a stir. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper and cook (breaking up the large chunks into bite sized pieces) until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.

4. Now onto the sauce! Sprinkle the meat with the flour and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and give the mixture a good stir then add in the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and your herbs. Still until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.

5. Add the peas into the beef mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7- inch glass baking dish. Top the mixture with your mashed potatoes, spreading evening over the top and pressing down as to create a seal...you don't want all the sauce to bubble up and over onto the mashed potatoes!

6. Pop your dish into the refrigerator if you are saving it for later (or the freezer if you have a freezer safe storage) or if you are ready to eat place into a pre heated 400 degree oven on the middle rack and allow to bake for about 25 minutes. When the potatoes begin to brown you know its done! Allow your dish to cool for about 10 minutes then plate up and enjoy.