Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd's Pie
Try this Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd's Pie recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Beef and Pumpkin Shepherd's Pie recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt to season
- 2 tablespoons vegetable stock (i use vegeta)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 kg | 2lbs butternut or kent pumpkin washed, peeled seeded and cubed (i usually use 1/2 a kent pumpkin)
- 3 large potatoes washed peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons reduced fat butter/spread of choice
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1/2 red capsicum/bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced (or 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 500 g | 1lbs ground/mince extra lean beef
- 2 ripe tomatoes diced
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons gravy powder whisked in 1/4 cup boiling water (until free of lumps): or you can substitute the gravy powder with cornflour/corn starch.
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves washed
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Carbohydrate 8.59370355321596 g
- Cholesterol 7.35416666666667 mg
- Fat 3.14459083356504 g
- Fiber 1.2407750088175 g
- Protein 4.76138083329756 g
- Saturated Fat 1.55985183336505 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (302g)
- Sodium 191.959666665997 mg
- Sugar 7.35292854439846 g
- Trans Fat 0.218820333336987 g
- Calories 79 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 200C | 400F.
- Combine pumpkin and potatoes with just enough water to cover them, in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat, and boil until tender. Alternatively, microwave or steam them until soft.
- Drain well, add the butter/spread and mash until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to suit your tastes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a separate large pan over medium - high heat.
- Add onion, carrots and capsicum, and cook stirring for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until onions become transparent.
- Add the garlic and cook stirring again, for about 2 minutes.
- Add beef and fry until meat is browned on all sides (break up all lumps with your wooden spoon).
- Add the tomatoes, cover pot with lid, reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes soften.
- When tomatoes are soft, add the peas, salt and vegetable stock powder, and simmer again covered with lid for about 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft and cooked through.
- Add gravy powder or cornflour/corn starch mixture.
- Cook stirring to combine all ingredients together until a sauce forms, reduces and thickens.
- Stir the spinach and parsley through, and take off heat.
- Evenly spread half the pumpkin/potato mash into a large oven proof baking dish.
- Spoon the beef mixture over the top, and spread remaining pumpkin mash over the top of the beef.
- Sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the top of the pie turns a golden brown and sauce is bubbling underneath (about 20 minutes).
Controlling moisture is the primary challenge when adapting a traditional shepherd's pie with root vegetables and high-water additions like tomatoes and spinach. If excess liquid remains in the beef pan before assembly, the bottom layer will saturate the dish and prevent the structural integrity required for clean portions.
- Drain the boiled pumpkin and potatoes thoroughly in a colander for at least five minutes before mashing; trapped steam creates a watery mash that will slide off the meat filling instead of holding its shape.
- Brown the extra lean ground beef over medium-high heat while actively breaking apart clumps with a wooden spoon, ensuring the meat develops browned surface proteins rather than graying in its own released juices.
- Whisk the 2 tablespoons of gravy powder completely into 1/4 cup of boiling water until entirely free of lumps before introducing it to the simmering pan, preventing pockets of dry starch.
- Bake the assembled dish uncovered at 400°F (200°C) for approximately 20 minutes until the parmesan cheese on top turns deep golden brown and the interior sauce bubbles visibly at the edges.
- Scale quantities proportionally if multiplying the yield, but monitor the reduction phase of the beef filling closely because larger volumes require extended evaporation time to reach the correct thickness.
Proper reduction of the sauce guarantees distinct layers upon serving. Stored leftovers keep adequately in a sealed container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
