Ground Beef Shepherd's Pie
Ground Beef Shepherd's Pie is a true classic comfort food with ground beef and vegetables in gravy topped with cheesy mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
For meat mixture
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lb lean (90%) ground beef (or ground lamb)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (chop it up)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley (may substitute fresh)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine (pinot noir or cabernet savignon)
- 1 tbsp low sodium worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium medium carrot, finely diced (you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of frozen vegetables if desired for the carrot, peas and corn)
- 1/4 cup frozen corn
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 3/4 cup frozen french style green beans
- 1 whole bay leaf
Mashed Potato Topping
- 4 medium russet potatoes, cut in 1 to 1-1/2 inch cubes (can use 2 large potatoes)
- 4 tbsp butter, cut in cubes
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (or half cream and half whole milk) + a few more tablespoons if potatoes need more moisture
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or white cheddar cheese
- Paprika and dried parsley to sprinkle on top of potatoes
Instructions
For the meat mixture:
- Place olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high then add your onions. Cook until the onions are transluscent, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon into small chunks.
- Add dried parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt and pepper. Stir spices into the meat mixture and cook the beef until it is browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add flour and tomato paste and stir in until it is well combined and no longer clumpy.
- Add worcestershire sauce, beef broth, carrots, corn, peas, beans, and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Stir mixture occastionally.
- Set the meat mixture aside and remove the bay leaf. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and start making your mashed potatoes.
For the mashed potato topping:
- Place enough salted water in a medium saucepan to cover the potatoes and then bring it to a boil. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes so they can cook more quickly.
- Boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender for about 10-15 minutes. When potatoes are done, drain the water and place the potatoes back in the pot to cool for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add butter, cream, cream cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Mash or whip the potatoes with a hand mixer. Add more cream a tablespoon at a time as needed if the potatoes are too dry until they are fluffy.
- Add the parmesan or white cheddar cheese and stir in to the potatoes.
To assemble Shepherd's Pie:
- Spoon the meat mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly with a large spoon. Dollop the potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and spread them evenly. Make fork marks over the top of the potatoes and then sprinkle a little paprika and dried parsley on top.
- Place the casserole on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Casserole should be bubbly and mashed potatoes a golden brown.
- Let the casserole cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 483kcal
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