Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie is a savory dish, traditionally associated with St. Patrick's Day. It is cooked with ground meat (beef or lamb), topped with mashed potatoes and baked. The dish has English roots from the late 18th and the 19th century.

Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with ground lamb. However, this version, also known as a “Cottage Pie,” is prepared with ground beef instead.

You can cook this dish right in your cast iron skillet. If you do, use a softer plastic spatula to cut and serve. If using metal, be careful not to nick the protective seasoning on your skillet while cutting.

Prep time: 30 minutes / Cook time: 45 minutes / Serves: 4-6

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Special Equipment

10.25” cast iron skillet

Recipe Note

This recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce. If desired, you can replace it with three tablespoons beef broth.

Mashed Potato Ingredients

2 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4-5 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Water, to cover

Pinch salt

½ c. chicken stock

¼ c. heavy cream

3 T. unsalted butter

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Pie Ingredients

1½ lbs. ground beef

2 t. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

¾ c. frozen corn kernels, thawed

¾ c. frozen peas, thawed

1¼ c. sliced frozen carrots, thawed

For Garnish

Smoked paprika Fresh chives, chopped

Directions

1. Place the top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat oven to 400°F.

2. Place potatoes and garlic in a large pot and add water until the potatoes are completely covered, with an additional inch or two on top. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.

3. While the potatoes are boiling, add the beef, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce to a 10” cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is completely browned and broken into small pieces, approximately 8-10 minutes.

4. Remove skillet from heat and carefully drain any excess fat from the skillet, if necessary. Set aside.

5. Add chicken stock, heavy cream, and butter to the boiled potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and mash with a hand masher or whip with a hand mixer until smooth. If necessary, add a little extra chicken broth to reach the desired consistency. Set aside.

6. Evenly spread the thawed corn, peas, and carrots across the browned ground beef in the cast iron skillet. Top with an even layer of the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with some smoked paprika.

7. Place the skillet in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through and the potatoes are nicely browned on top. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Serve immediately garnished with fresh chives.