A Classic Winter Dish - Shepherd's Pie

Yesterday was ANZAC day in Australia which resulted in a much-anticipated day off for me.

The weather was perfect in Melbourne: cold and storming. No reason to leave the house or feel guilty for staying in.

For the past week I did not cook very much. I am not sure why, but it was probably a combination of late working nights and dinners with friends and relatives.

Work has been so busy lately that I also hadn’t picked up any needles for days. I was itching for my habit :)

As you can imagine I was so looking forward to this day off and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

It consisted of a very long sleep in (bliss!) and some yummy pancakes and syrup for breakfast (I even made stewed apples as a topping (delish!).

Then I spent time ironing a huge pile that had built up (1.5 hours of ironing) and watching The Hubby’s movie choice.

Next was hours spent knitting with some more movies playing in the background.

I also decided today would be the day I did some real home cooking – I missed a home cooked meal a lot.

It was cold and raining, the perfect day for Shepherd’s Pie, especially since I had all the ingredients.

This really is a classic meal and the epitome of comfort food.

As my pie was cooking away in the oven my best bud text me a picture of the lovely dinner she created. Yep, she had also made Shepherd’s Pie. Hilarious!Funnily enough since I started blogging, she has been enjoying the cooking process with me a lot and in the kitchen a lot more often. Now we let each other know what we are cooking and baking. I love tasting her dishes and hearing about what she is making… The boys just think we are mad (but enjoy the food all the same).

GF's Shepherd's Pie

So for those looking for some comfort. Enjoy!

Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup peas
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
• 1.5 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 40g butter
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200⁰C
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat
3. Add onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes or until soft
4. Add beef mince and cook through
5. Add the flour and stir until combined
6. Add the beef stock, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and salt and pepper
7. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened
   

   Meat simmering away

8. Steam potatoes in a steamer until cooked through
   

   Steaming Potatoes

9. Drain well
10. Place cooked potatoes into a saucepan and add the butter, milk and salt and pepper
11. Mash potatoes, butter and milk together until combined and smooth
    

    Mashing Potatoes

12. Layer the bottom of a baking dish with the meat mixture
    

    Layer the Meat

13. Top with mashed potato and spread evenly over the meat mixture
    

    Layer the Potato

14. Sprinkle top with cheese
    

    Layer the Cheese

15. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown
16. Serve while piping hot
    

    Hot from the over

 

Notes

• If I am going to make mashed potatoes I always make sure to steam the potatoes. Boiling is one of the least nutritious ways to cook any vegetables and steaming preserves all the nutrients. You get exactly the same result but the cooking method is a lot healthier and just as easy
  
• I made the pie without any pastry, and therefore was very sloppy. You could always add some pastry or a pie crust in order to make the  Shepherd’s Pie more “pie” like

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Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup peas
• 500g beef mince
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
• 1.5 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 40g butter
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200⁰C
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat
3. Add onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes or until soft
4. Add beef mince and cook through
5. Add the flour and stir until combined
6. Add the beef stock, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and salt and pepper
7. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until thickened
8. Steam potatoes in a steamer until cooked through
9. Drain well
10. Place cooked potatoes into a saucepan and add the butter, milk and salt and pepper
11. Mash potatoes, butter and milk together until combined and smooth
12. Layer the bottom of a baking dish with the meat mixture
13. Top with mashed potato and spread evenly over the meat mixture
14. Sprinkle top with cheese
15. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown
16. Serve while piping hot

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