Shepherd's Pie

My first time making lamb!!

I have eaten shepherd’s pie exactly one time before testing the recipe I’m sharing today, and it was… fine! … but not amazing enough to leave an impression. But as I was looking for new St. Patty’s Day recipes to try, I kept coming back to this delicious, 5-star recipe from The Wholesome Dish. (By 5 stars, I mean 4.98 from 2396 votes, and you can add another vote from me!)

I did make a few changes to the recipe— mostly cooking the potatoes and meat filling simultaneously, the most glaring issue with the original recipe’s timing. I also added a bit more veg and decreased the butter from a whole to a half-stick, because holy cow, I do not think 4 potatoes need an entire stick of butter! But no shade on anyone if they disagree.

And okay, shepherd’s pie isn’t glamorous. I get it. It’s not a gorgeous piece of fish or a succulent cut of meat. It’s kind-of squishy, actually (and decidedly unplate-able!) But it’s really good, I promise! Comfort food doesn’t have to be pretty, I think.

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Shepherd’s Pie
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 4-6

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: omit flour

• Dairy free: use dairy-free milk or cream

Kids Can Help

• measure spices and barley, peel onion and carrots, add the frozen vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground lamb, beef, or turkey

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 1 white or yellow onion

• 4 cloves of garlic

• ½ tsp ground thyme

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1½ tsp salt, divided

• 1 tsp rubbed sage

• 2 tsp dried parsley

• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup of beef or vegetable broth

• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables

• 4 Idaho (Russet) potatoes

• ½ stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter

• 1/3 cup half-and-half

Tools

• Large pot

• Large (5.5 L or similar) saute pan

• Large cutting board

• Chef knife

• Wooden spoon or spatula

• 9x9 or 7x11 baking dish

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Directions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating up, wash, peel (if desired), and chop the potatoes into small chunks. Add to the boiling water and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes; drain and set aside.

Step 2

While the potatoes are cooking, make the filling. First, peel and mince the garlic and onion. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sautee pan over medium heat; add garlic and onion. Cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, then add the ground lamb, ½ tsp ground thyme, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp rubbed sage, and 2 tsp dried parsley. Brown the meat, breaking into small pieces as it cooks.

Step 3

Add 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and 2 Tbsp tomato paste to the lamb mixture and stir until well combined (lower heat if necessary to avoid burning), then add 1 cup of broth. Bring to a simmer and stir, incorporating any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 4

Add 2 cups of frozen vegetables to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through; turn off heat. Pour the filling into the bottom of a 9x9 or 7x11 baking dish.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 6

Make the mashed potatoes: blend the drained potatoes with ½ stick of butter, ⅓ cup of half & half, and ½ tsp salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, then spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top of the lamb mixture.

Step 7

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes turn slightly golden-brown on top!