This is a dish that is excellent for making from leftovers. Let the imagination flow. 😊
We have all heard of Shepherd’s Pie, an Irish dish so popular that it is usually on every pub’s menu.
There are references to this dish sometimes at the end of the 18th century. Even then, people struggled to make use of leftovers; just as we do today, they sought to find different ways to renew the leftovers so that the family would be happy and not whine about repetition in the menu. That is why the recipes can vary – but essentially have the same structure, i.e., a layer of mashed potatoes in the top and bottom with minced meat sauce mixture in the middle. Although this dish is all about using leftovers, it is very delicious!
What is the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and cottage pie? If you use ground beef, the dish is called cottage pie. Shepherd’s Pie is always made with minced lamb or mutton.
This basic recipe can vary depending on the leftovers you have at home.
As I show in the video, you can serve it in a single oven dish or make individual smaller portions.
Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients – take what you have at home. You can also easily make the dish vegetarian; you will find basic vegetarian minced meat sauce HERE.
Here I use Ghee or clarified butter, but if you do not have access to it, you can fry in a mixture of butter and oil because the combination allows you to have higher heat without burning whatever you are frying.
It is easy to make Ghee; you find the recipe HERE.
You can also use a splash of Worcestershire sauce if you wish.
It is mise en place that applies, which means that you prepare everything before you start cooking.
Ingredients for 6 servings
670 grams of minced meat (beef, lamb, or minced mutton)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
130 g mushrooms (sliced)
1 carrot in small dices
1 dl celery stalk (in small dices)
1 dl diced celeriac (in small dices)
100 grams of tomato puree
2 pcs of ox bouillon
1 dl red wine
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 – 3 dl green peas
500 g (approx.) Crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 – 2 tablespoons wheat flour
100 – 200 grams of grated cheddar & mozzarella
50-gram grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
0,5 tsp black pepper
1.5 liters of mashed potatoes
Ghee or a combination of oil and butter for frying
Method:
- Preparations: Chop the onion, slice or divide the mushrooms into smaller pieces, dice both celery, and celeriac. Press or chop the garlic, grate the different types of cheese, measure the crushed tomatoes and all the seasonings. Prepare mashed potatoes. and keep it warm.
- Heat a large pan with a bit of Ghee or a combination of butter and oil.
- When it reaches hot (256 ° F), pour in the well-chopped
- onion. Salt the onion lightly. Stir in the pan from time to time to avoid burning the onion – fry the onion for about 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms after 3 minutes and continue frying.
- Salt the mushrooms as well – it helps extract the liquid from them. Then, continue to fry the onion and mushrooms together for another 5 – 6 minutes.
- Once it has caramelized, add diced carrots, celery- and celeriac. Continue to fry all together for another 5 – 6 minutes.
- After 5 – 6 minutes, add pressed or chopped garlic. Fry for another minute – or until you start to feel the aroma of garlic – pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- Use the same pan – add a little more ghee or a mixture of butter and oil. Add the minced meat and fry until it caramelizes – it takes about 10 minutes – it should be pretty dry.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add rosemary, thyme, tomato puree, mix well and fry it all for a short while.
- Then add the crushed tomatoes, bouillon cubes, and about 1 dl red wine. Lower the heat and let everything simmer together for about 5 – 10 minutes.
- Sift over 2-3 tablespoons of flour and mix well – let everything simmer for a few more minutes.
- Add the onion and vegetable mixture to the meat – stir.
- Add the frozen peas – mix well.
- Taste and correct the seasoning to suit you. I added 2 teaspoons of onion and garlic powder, and true to my habit, I also added about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix everything well – taste again and set it aside.
- Grease an ovenproof dish with a bit of butter or oil.
- Put half of the mashed potatoes in the bottom – smooth the surface.
- Then add a layer of grated cheese (Cheddar & mozzarella) and top it with grated parmesan.
- Add the finished meat sauce and smooth the surface.
- Put a layer of mashed potatoes and smooth the surface.
- Garnish with grated cheddar and mozzarella. Then, top it all with grated parmesan.
- Options: Do the same thing but in more miniature hollow shapes, as shown in the video.
- Put it in the oven (374 ° F) – convection oven 329 ° F) for about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
