SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH CHEDDAR

We made this recipe for the first time on Monday, 2-23-26. It is from a food blog called Pan to Plate Recipes, hosted by Julia who was a former restaurant head chef. The original recipe can be found at this link. It was excellent and we gave it a 10 out of 10. I have a similar recipe on here also, but I haven't checked to see the differences. I recommend going to Julia's food blog to review the original. She has a lot of great tips for this, and other  recipes to try. 

Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar 

Serves: 6

Calories per serving: approximately 620

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Total time:1 hour 15 minutes

For the filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil (30g)

1 large onion, diced (150g)

2 medium (120g) carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic (6g), minced

1-1/2 pounds (680g) ground lamb (we used minced beef)

1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme

1 teaspoon (1g) dried rosemary

1 cup (240g) beef broth

1 cup (150g) frozen peas

Salt and black pepper to taste

For the topping:

4 cups (950g) prepared mashed potatoes

1 cup (120g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (190 degrees C.)  Having the oven fully heated ensures the pie bakes evenly and the topping becomes golden brown.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 to 7 minutes).  

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the lamb (or like us, add minced beef) to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces. Cook until it is browned all over, about 8-10 minutes. Carefully drain off any excess fat from the skillet.

Season the meat with the dried thyme, dried rosemary and the salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the beef broth into the skillet, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 

Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. 

Let it gently bubble for 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. 

Stir in the frozen peas during the last 2 minutes of simmering.

Transfer the meat mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, or an oven-safe skillet, and spread it into an even layer. 

Spoon the prepared mashed potatoes over the filling. Use a spatula to gently spread the potatoes to cover the entire surface, sealing the filling in.

Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the mashed potatoes. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any potantial drips.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Carefully remove the Shepherd's Pie from the oven. 

Let is rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set, making it easier to slice and serve cleanly.

Garnish with fresh parsley (optional).

Shepherd's Pie can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat place it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. F (175 degrees C), and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until warmed through. 

You can also assemble the pie a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it before baking; you may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

Serving size: 1/6 of pie

Calories per serving: 620

We made a few changes. Firstly we used minced beef instead of lamb. 

We also added at the same time as the broth, a splash of Worcestershire Sauce, and also a cup of red wine. We usually do the latter for soups and stews but wanted to see if it made a difference with this shepherd's pie.  

There was more meat and added 2 lbs. instead of the 1 lb. We also added extra veggies, carrots, onions. 

It gave us leftovers and when the casserole was filled with both mixture and potato on the top, what was left was added to another dish to give us a meal for later. This will be frozen without the potato topping. I had it in my mind to use the meat mixture and put it over some mashed potatoes, similar to this I suppose but done separately. Or we might use it for another recipe. 

I think it would be a good idea to add extra thyme and rosemary too, for our own personal taste. We both felt it needed more and we love the taste of thyme.

Gregg said he would like more grated cheese also.

This is the full address for the recipe. I add this if you prefer copy and pasting instead of using the link at the top of the page.

https://pantoplaterecipes.com/shepherds-pie-with-cheddar

That's it for this week's recipe. If I have missed anything or you have a question, let me know in the comment section and I will do my best to answer.