Our take on Shepherd’s Pie is a comfort-food classic. All the hearty goodness of meatloaf and mashed potatoes at Grandma’s Sunday dinner in one delicious dish!
Shepherd’s Pie
- 3 large potatoes, peeled, quartered
- 8 tablespoons butter, unsalted, divided
- 1 ½ cups onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1-1/2 pounds ground round beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 to 2 cups carrots, corn & peas mixture, diced, cooked (optional) (see Cook’s Note)
Cover the potatoes with at least an inch of cold water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes or until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a large sauté pan heat 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 6 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add beef to the pan and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce and broth. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out.
Check if the potatoes are done by piercing with a fork. Remove them from the pot and place in a bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the beef mixture (and vegetables, if using) in an even layer in a large 8- x -13-inch casserole baking dish Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so peaks will get well browned. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to brown the surface of the mashed potatoes further. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings
COOK’S NOTE: If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions and garlic because they take as long to cook as the onions do. If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time.
