Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie falls in the comfort food category which makes it the perfect dish to bring to a family in need, a potluck, or to serve your family on a cool night. For an extra special presentation for your family or company, make individual Shepherd Pies in small crocks. Everyone gets their own which makes them feel special.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock
• ½ cup red wine (or additional ½ cup stock)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup flour
• 6 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)
• paprika
•  1/2 Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Fresh herbs to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large casserole dish or a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
3. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat
4. Once the pan is hot, add the ground meat and brown.
5. Add onion, celery and carrots and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add mushrooms, parsley, garlic and thyme and stir to combine.
7. In a mixing bowl, whisk together stock, wine, cream of mushroom soup, tomato paste and Worchestershire sauce.
8. Pour mixture over meat and vegetables and stir to combine.
9. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer until carrots are tender (approximately 15 minutes) stirring frequently to keep from sticking.
10. While mixture is simmering, combine melted butter and flour to form a paste.
11. After carrots are tender, stir a spoonful of the hot mixture into the butter/flour paste to loosen then stir all back into the pot.
12. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
13. Stir in spinach and peas then taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
14. Transfer cooked meat mixture into prepared pan.
15. Gently spoon cheesy mashed potatoes over the meat. Use the tines of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern over the top of the potatoes. Lightly sprinkle with paprika.
16. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
17. Place the dish over a large baking sheet as it’s very likely the shepherd’s pie will spill over.
18. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden. Let sit for 15 minutes to set.
19. Sprinkle with herbs, if desired, before serving

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups mashed potatoes (purchased or prepared)
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• milk or cream if needed

Directions:

Heat potatoes then add butter and sour cream. Stir to combine then add cheese, stirring to melt. Once melted, taste the potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: If your potatoes are too thick, add a little milk or cream until they are soft enough to spread. But be careful not to make them too soft or they won’t hold their shape on the shepherd’s pie.)