Growing up I was pretty weird… I didn’t like most foods, I had a horrific boy short hair cut, I dressed like a weirdo – I mean I was weird. I didnt like mashed potatoes! What child doesnt like mashers? My dad always made Shepherd’s Pie, and I loved it – without the potatoes. Over the years, my tastes have definitely changed and I like a lot of things I never knew I would.
Its been pretty chilly lately here in Southern California, so what better to make than something hearty and hot? Mmm, Shepherd’s Pie! Buttery potatoes, ground lamb, and veggies all in a thick gravy. Yum!
Mashed Potatoes
- 1lb Russet Potatoes
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 4 tbsp Butter or margarine
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Peel, rinse, and cut into quarters. Place in a pot with cold water, bring to a heavy boil until tender – round 15min. When they’re done, drain, and add back to pot. Mash the potatoes a little, and then add liquid, yolk, and seasoning. Set potatoes aside.
Lamb Filling
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 6 baby carrots (or two large), diced small
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Portabella Mushroom, diced
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 1 can white corn
- 1 can sweet peas
Heat your oil in a deep skillet and add your lamb, adding salt and pepper to the meat as you break it up. Let the meat brown, not scraping the pan too much, and set meat aside when fully cooked. Add your carrots, onion, mushrooms, and fresh herbs to the same pan and let them sweat. As they get a little softer, scrape the seasoning off the bottom so they’re able to soak it all up.
Put the lamb back in the pan and mix well, also adding the Worcestershire. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat evenly, cooking about another minute. Stir in tomato paste and chicken broth and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 12min letting the liquids thicken, stir occasionally.
Add the corn and peas to your pan and mix well, then spread the mixture evenly in a medium baking dish. Personally, I used two round pie pans, because I didn’t want to take up too much space in my refrigerator with a big pan of leftovers. You can use whatever size or shape pan you want since all of the ingredients are fully cooked before you bake it.
After the pan is filled, spoon the mashers on top with a plastic spatula. Start at the edges of the pan, making somewhat of a seal so the gravy doesn’t boil over while you’re baking it. Cover completely with potatoes, add dish to a cookie sheet, and put in a 400° oven for 20min and then take them out and let them rest for 10min.
I decided, last minute, to top the pies off with a little cheese. So, instead of taking the pies out after 30min, I turned the oven off and left them in there so the cheese could melt.
Such an easy and delicious dish. I really enjoyed making this, nothing stressful or overwhelming about it at all. I would really suggest this to anyone with kids that needs to add a little more veggies to their lives. You can make it with any ground meat, I suppose.
Weekday Dinner Mom 