Try this Shepherd's Pie recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 large potatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 750 gr ground beef
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 1 pinch thyme (ground)
- 1 pinch savory (ground)
- 1 pepper
- 2 cups beef stock (or water + 1 knorr beef cube)
- 1 cup + peas (frozen)
- 1 cup + corn (frozen)
- Carbohydrate 31.2507405555556 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.128343333333333 g
- Fiber 3.12841673437754 g
- Protein 2.870225 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0370833333333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (151g)
- Sodium 17.7828888888889 mg
- Sugar 28.122323821178 g
- Trans Fat 0.0270033333333334 g
- Calories 134 calories
Step-by-step
- Prepare Mashed Potatoes.
- Saute Onion.
- Add Beef, Garlic and Carrots. Continue to sauté until Meat is browned.
- Add Flour and spices and stir.
- Add Beef Stock and Worcestershire Sauce and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
- Layer Meat, Peas + Corn and Potatoes.
- Bake in oven at 400ºF for 15 minutes.
Simmering the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce mixture for a full twenty minutes is the critical window where connective tissues soften and the starches from the flour swell to thicken the sauce. Rushing this reduction step leaves the filling watery, which undermines the structural integrity of the casserole when it comes out of the oven. Letting the liquid reduce steadily creates a rich coating that clings to the ground beef and vegetables rather than pooling at the bottom of the baking dish.
A frequent error involves crowding the skillet when browning the ground beef with the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. High moisture released from the meat will steam the proteins instead of searing them if the pan is overloaded, preventing the Maillard reaction necessary for deep, savory notes. Cook the meat thoroughly until deeply browned, then stir in the flour, ground thyme, and savory to coat the granules in fat before adding liquids, which prevents raw flour lumps from forming.
Layering demands precision to keep textures distinct. Placing the frozen peas and corn directly over the hot meat layer cooks them gently without turning them to mush during the final baking phase. Spread the freshly prepared mashed potatoes evenly across the vegetables, sealing the edges against the baking dish to trap the steam and prevent the filling from boiling over into the oven during heating.
Baking the assembled casserole at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes sets the components and creates light browning across the potato peaks. Cool the pie for ten minutes before slicing to let the starches firm up, ensuring clean portions that hold their shape on the plate.
