Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Easy to prepare Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is an easy to prepare casserole to be sure. It is a hearty recipe that contains ground lamb or beef along with vegetables in a tasty gravy, covered with mashed potatoes. In my recipe, I use a mixture of both ground lamb and ground beef but feel free to change that up if you want.

Sometimes, on the weekend, I will cook a few dishes that reheat well, so that during a busy school and work week, getting dinner on the table is stress-free. A classic comfort food and great make ahead dish like shepherd’s pie is a perfect example of a complete meal in itself for busy weeknights.

Make it your way

I use a bag of frozen already mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots and green beans) for this dish, but you can also swap it for a 1 ½ cups of your own favorite veggies mix.

Ingredients for Easy Shepherd’s Pie

• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1 cup chopped Onion
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. Flour
• 8 oz. Beef Stock
• 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 ½ cup frozen mixed Vegetables
• ¾ lb. ground Beef
• ¾ lb. ground Lamb
• 1 tsp. fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• ½ tsp. Salt
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper

• 4 cups of your favorite Mashed Potatoes

Instructions:

1. Begin by pre-heating the largest oven-safe skillet you have, on medium-high heat. Then, add 1 tbsp each of oil and butter. Next, lower heat to medium and add the onions, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Follow by adding the minced garlic. and using a wooden spoon begin to stir in the flour. Accordingly, keep stirring with your spoon until a thick paste is formed. In essence, you’re making a roux which will become the thickening agent for your Shepherd’s Pie.   
2. Once your mixture is turning a golden blonde color, start adding the stock, paste and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir and at the same time, start to add in the mixed frozen vegetables. Cook on medium-high for 5-7 minutes. For this reason, there is no need to thaw veggies first.
3. Lower heat and add the ground beef and lamb. With your wooden spoon, break up ground meat and simmer for approximately 8 minutes, just until the meat is cooked through.
4. At this time, season the mixture with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.
5. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400°
6. Finally, spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture, spread carefully into an even layer.
7. Bake uncovered in the oven, for 25-30 minutes. At last, remove from oven, allowing your Shepherd’s Pie Casserole to cool slightly before serving.

Good to Know:

One of the great things about making a Shepherd’s Pie when you are meal planning is that it freezes well. However, if you are making ahead of time, you may want to remove meat mixture from skillet and carefully transfer into a casserole pan before covering with mashed potatoes.

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