Who can resist anything with mashed potatoes ? Shepherd’s Pie was inspired by my daughter-in-law who posted a picture of miniature versions she made for her family mentioning that it was devoured by everyone! The funny thing was I had been searching for a recipe for this to make earlier in the week to post and then, “boom,” there was a picture, so I inquired about the recipe she used. A Pinterest source was shared and I was off to the races!
To help with clean up, I decided to cook, and bake, all in one pan! For your reference, I had to discover how to measure the size of the large Lodge cast iron skillet. The number on the bottom actually indicates the diameter of the bottom (10SK). Interpret that as 10″. However, because it tapers out, it’s 12″ across the top. You may certainly put it in a casserole dish of your choosing instead or into ramekins for individual servings! To start, saute the carrots, onions and celery in olive oil or avocado oil until onions are translucent.
You may wonder why 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef since most recipes use 1 pound. In the early days of the pandemic, grocery stores were being picked over. Believe it or not, the only package I could find was this package. This meant I had to adjust the recipe. It wasn’t that difficult; just add half of the original recipe. That’s certainly not a bad thing. In the long run, I can stretch it out another day as leftovers. Now that you are caught up on my situation, add the ground beef and cook until crumbly and no longer pink. Sprinkle on the herbs, salt, pepper and minced garlic.
Make a paste using the flour and tomato paste. This makes it easier to blend the flour into the broth. ( I used a butter/flour paste to finish/thicken the sauce for my Beef Bourguignon.) Blend it into the warm beef broth with the Worcestershire sauce . No lumps! Yeah! Now, just mix it in to the beef mixture. This helps everything stay together. 
Add in the frozen (or thawed) vegetables and stir to equally distribute.
Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the top. Mix in the cheese, if you prefer. Finish by smoothing out the mashed potatoes.(See directions and link below.) Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. The shots below were taken out on our porch with the late afternoon sun streaming through. A great first meal to be served as we christen our favorite eating location for another fabulous season of good eats!
Mashed Potatoes:
The above link provides pictures for the process. It makes a bit more, but is there ever enough mashed potatoes? Feel free to use the one shown with this post or the one linked above. Substitute half and half for the cream in either recipe, if you desire.
Ingredients
- 2 T olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 c diced onion
- 1/2 c diced celery
- 1/2 c diced carrots
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef(96%)
- 2 t dried parsley (or 2 T fresh, finely chopped)
- 1 t dried thyme (or 1 T fresh), finely chopped)
- 1 t dried rosemary (or 1 T fresh, finely chopped)
- 1/2 t Kosher salt
- 1/2 t black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
- 3 T flour
- 3 T tomato paste
- 1 1/2 c beef broth, heated (I use Better than Bouillon Beef Base.)
- 3/4 c frozen peas
- 3/4 c frozen sweet corn
- 1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (Use a block of cheese; about 6 oz.)
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1/2 c heavy cream or half and half
- 3 T butter
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 t garlic powder(optional)
- 1/4 c grated Parmesan(optional)
Instructions
- Saute the onions, celery and carrots in olive oil until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef and cook until crumbled and no longer pink.
- Mix in herbs, salt and pepper, and garlic.
- Make a paste with the flour and tomato paste. Add it, along with the Worcestershire sauce, to the heated beef broth and whisk it together. Blend it into the beef mixture.
- Stir in the veggies. Layer the grated cheese on top of the meat. Top with the mashed potatoes (see directions below).
- Bake for 30 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Mashed Potatoes:
- Peel, rinse and thinly slice either Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Place COLD water about 2" above the potatoes in your pot.
- Once it reaches a boil on high heat, set timer for 15 minutes and reduce heat to medium-high.
- Once potatoes flake apart with a fork, drain.
- Warm up butter and cream with salt and pepper in microwave for about a minute.
- Add to a mixing bowl and add potatoes.
- Whip in high speed with a hand mixer.
- Spread on top of pie evenly.
