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Classic Shepherd's Pie

Classic comfort food, this meal is a tradition in pubs and homes alike. Cozy meat and vegetable filling with flavourful gravy sits beneath a wondrous topping of cheesy potatoes. Add some green beans, brussel sprouts, glazed carrots or a salad on the side.
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Keyword beef, carrots, celery, cheddar cheese, potatoes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 lb lean ground beef, see Notes
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 tsp pepper, divided
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium leek, finely sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1/4 tsp paprika optional
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, can use a gluten free blend instead
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 3/4 cups beef broth, can use turkey broth as well
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

Mashed Potato Topping

  • 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, or eighths if larger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small chunks (3 oz or 85 g)
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper, can use black pepper if this is all you have
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

Beef prep:

  1. Break up the ground beef in a medium mixing bowl. In a small cup combine the baking soda with 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to dissolve. Pour the baking soda mixture over the ground beef and toss it all to combine. Set the meat aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Filling:

  1. In a large skillet (at least 12-inches wide) add the butter and olive oil. Heat over medium until butter is melted and just starting to foam. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrots, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and paprika, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and carrots start to soften. About 7 minutes.

  2. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly until the mixture darkens and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.

  4. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and bring to a boil, still over medium heat.

  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and spread out the vegetables evenly. Add the beef in small portions on top of the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, stirring regularly to break up any large clumps. By the end you want all the meat in a regular small size

  6. Whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the beef. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas and remove the skillet from the heat. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The filling can be made ahead and stored in the fridge till needed. Return to room temperature before assembling.

Potatoes

  1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover completely with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

  2. Drain the potatoes completely until very dry. Use a ricer to create a fluffy mound of potatoes in a large bowl. If you don't have a potato ricer, mash the potatoes until no lumps remain.

  3. Add the butter, ¼ teaspoon salt and white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until the butter is melted. Whisk together the milk, sour cream, and egg. Add this to the potatoes and stir to combine. Stir the shredded cheese till completely blended. Taste and re-season as desired.

Assembly

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a large casserole baking dish, oven safe skillet or deep dish pie dish.

  2. Spoon the meat filling into the dish and press down firmly to remove any air pockets.
  3. Place the mashed potatoes into a large piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe the potatoes in a fun pattern over the filling. Alternatively you can use a large freezer bag. Cut a 1-inch opening in one corner of the bag and pipe the potatoes over the beef mixture. Or feel free to just use a spoon to smooth the potatoes to cover the beef. Drag the tines of a fork across the top to make a cross hatch pattern in the potatoes.

  4. Place the dish or skillet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the centre rack until the filling is bubbling, about 15 - 20 minutes.

  5. Switch to broil. Broil the casserole until the potatoes are golden brown and crusty, about 5 minutes. (Watch carefully so the top doesn't scorch.

  6. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
  7. See blog post for more details.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use ground turkey or chicken in place of the beef.

This can be assembled and refrigerated till needed.  Just cover lightly, and bring to room temperature before baking.