Unfortunately, Winter is still with us for a few more weeks. Â On the bright side, there is still time to enjoy warm comfort food after a long day. Warm up your soul with this easy Shepherd's Pie recipe just in time for St. Patty's Day!!
I think Shepherd's Pie is one of the ultimate comfort food recipes. It's also a perfectly complete meal. Â You get protein, veggies, and starch all in one dish. Â I add extra veggies on the side of course.
St. Patty's Day is coming up, so if you're looking for a recipe to make for this special day, Shepherd's Pie is a great choice.  When you search St. Patty's Day recipes you aget a lot of corned beef and cabbage recipes in search, but Shepherd's Pie is there too and perfect for those that aren't fans of corned beef and cabbage.
This recipe isn't exactly fast, although I think any recipe that takes less than an hour to prepare isn't so bad. Â If you multi-task you can get this recipe made in no time. Â Cooking the beef layer while you cook the potatoes is a must or else you will be waiting more than an hour to eat.
Tip: you can use prepared mashed potatoes. Â I grew up eating homemade, so I wouldn't even consider a short cut. Â There are a few brands that aren't too bad. Â I won't touch instant mashed potatoes, so please DON'T go there.
Peeling and cutting up the potatoes is the most tedious part of making mashed potatoes. Â Once you put the potatoes in the pot to boil you don't have much to do. Â I have the potatoes boiling while I make the beef layer.
Tip #2: If you avoid red meat you can use ground turkey. Â Ground turkey will lower the fat content and calories of the meal. Â I use grass-fed lean ground beef. As a dietitian, I support clients in their decision to cut out red meat for health reasons, but I also support those who do consume red meat. Â I feel that all foods fit and can be consumed in moderation. Â In our house, we consume a variety of proteins including lean grass-fed beef.
I grew up eating Shepherd's Pie, but it wasn't this recipe. When doing research for this recipe I found that many classic recipes incorporate veggies (which we did not except for onion) and top the pie the cheese (we didn't). Â Cheese just make everything better, so why not add it in!
Recipe
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Layer
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- â…“ cup skim milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- ½-1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Meat Layer
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- â…› teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
Mashed Potato Layer
- Place potato cubes into a large pot and cover with cold water.
- Heat potatoes on high and bring to a boil.
- Boil for about 15 -20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- Drain water from potatoes.
- Add butter, milk, salt, and pepperÂ
- Mash potatoes with a potato masher or electric beater.Meat Layer
- While potatoes are cooking heat oil is a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until soft.
- Add in ground beef and cook until browned.
- Add in Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, thyme, salt, pepper, and beef broth. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with flour and stir until thickened.
- Stir in mixed vegetables.Place meat layer into a medium sized baking dish. Place mashed potatoes on top of meat layer and cover evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Blair says
Cozy comfort food dinners like this are definitely my family's favorites right now. Love that this is EASY!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
This is a lot like the way I make my shepherd's pie too. I'm with you that an hour for a meal like this is fine by me, especially because that means tasty left-overs all week.
MaryB says
I'll get some new kitchen gear!
Kellie Crawford says
Thank you for sharing this recipe and I might try this out instead of going out to eat for the evening. Still want to party for St. Patrick's day, but what a great comfort meal as well as great for the kiddos. Especially when you have a one year trying all new foods! Thanks for sharing!
Kellie Crawford says
if I would win the gift card, it would be sharing with my family for whatever needs we need at the time. 🙂