Shepherd's Pie

This hearty casserole epitomizes mouthwatering comfort food. Savory meat and vegetables simmered in a rich gravy, topped with buttery, creamy mashed potatoes, and baked until golden and slightly crispy. It's so soul-satisfying that my family requests this super easy recipe on a regular rotation.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 525kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Potato Topping:

1½ pounds (680g) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt (to season boiled potatoes)
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
⅓ cup (77g) sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Meat Filling

2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
1½ pounds (680g) lean ground beef
2 teaspoons (1.6g) fresh thyme
1-2 bay leaves
1 medium carrot, diced (about ½ cup)
1 stalk celery, diced (about ½ cup)
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon (8g) garlic, minced
1 cup (240ml) red wine
3-4 tablespoons (48-64g) tomato paste
2 tablespoons (20g) flour
1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (240ml) beef broth
1 teaspoon (2g) bouillon, beef or chicken (optional)
1 cup (150g) frozen sweet peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup (165g) frozen sweet corn kernels, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley to garnish

Instructions

Potato Topping

Rinse the potatoes under cold water and transfer them to a large saucepan. Add cold water. It should cover the potatoes by at least 3 inches.
Season with a generous amount of salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, turn down the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes until they're tender – 12-15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, rinse them with hot water, and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Use a potato masher or a hand mixer to combine the boiled potatoes with the milk, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper until it's nice and creamy. Set aside.

Meat Filling

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the ground meat and brown for 6-8 minutes, breaking it into bits so it doesn't form large chunks. Remove any grease from the beef using a spoon or ladle.
Add the thyme, bay leaf, carrot, celery, onions, and garlic to the skillet and stir to combine for 4-6 minutes, until the ingredients start to soften.
Decrease the heat to medium and add the red wine and tomato paste. Simmer on low until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add flour, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and (optionally) beef or chicken bouillon.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then set the heat to low, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened slightly, 10-15 minutes.
Add the peas and corn and stir until thoroughly combined and heated through. Season it with salt and pepper and set aside.

To Assemble

Preheat the oven to 425°F/218℃. Spray a generous amount of nonstick coating on a 9x13 casserole dish.
Add the meat filling. Top with the mashed potatoes and spread them out evenly using a spatula until the entire dish is covered.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the potatoes start to brown slightly around the edges (18-20 minutes).
Let the dish cool for about 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Notes

The beef mixture should have some sauce before placing it in the baking pan, so if your meat filling seems dry during the cooking process, feel free to add a bit more beef stock, red wine, or other liquid to make it nice and saucy.
On the other hand, if your meat filling has too much sauce and is on the runny side, you can add a cornstarch slurry to help it thicken up. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cool water, then pour it into the sauce, turn up the heat, and stir, stir, stir until it thickens.
Want to make your shepherd's pie look fancy? Use a fork or spoon to carve designs into the potato topping before you bake. It looks gorgeous, especially once the potatoes get nice and golden during the baking.
Let the meat filling cool first so it will be easier for you to spread the potato topping.
To prevent the mashed potato topping from sinking, refrigerate the meat filling layer for 20 minutes after you spread it in the baking dish.
Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.

Nutrition