Once Fall breezes in and the weather cools down my favorite dish to make is Shepherd’s Pie. I learned the recipe years ago from Chef John’s blog: foodwishes.com
It’s one of those dishes that have so many variations and adaptations but the classic is always great to fall back to for a comfort dish.
Ingredients
For the meat filling:
- 2 pounds ground beef or lamb
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6-7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
- Salt and black pepper
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup frozen green peas
For the potato topping:
- 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt and black pepper
Directions
1. Heat a pan with high sides on high heat and add in the ground beef, onion, garlic, rosemary, carrot, salt, and black pepper. Cook while mixing until meat is browned
2. Add ketchup and flour and stir for 2 minutes or until the rawness of the flour is cooked out
3. Pour in water, a pinch of cinnamon, and frozen peas. Cover and simmer gently until thickened and peas are cooked-about 10 minutes. If you want the mixture thicker, cook a little longer
4. Then pour beef mixture into a baking dish and set aside
5. For the potato topping, add potatoes and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes and tender and cooked through
6. Mash potatoes before adding cheddar cheese, salt, black pepper, an egg yolk, and a dash of heavy cream and mix well
7. Spoon potato mixture over the beef and spread out gently. Then bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes
8. Once done, broil the top for an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden and bubbly
9. Serve warm with some parsley and enjoy!