When I think of comfort food, Shepherds Pie is for sure one of my favourites. It is such a comforting hearty meal, and it is very easy to make – but you don’t have to tell your company that, let them ooh and awe over it. This can be served on its own, or with a nice green salad. Great for an easy weekday dinner, or to serve a large crowd. This also freezes very well, I prepared a couple before our baby was born to make dinner time easier.
Shepherds Pie
Servings: about 6
- 4 large potatoes – peeled and diced
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 small white onion – chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables (such as diced carrots, peas, corn, and beans)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cups beef (or vegetable) broth
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup milk
- Salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder to taste
- 1 cup grated cheese (optional)
How to:
- Heat oven to 400 F.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with water, add a dash of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 6 minutes, drain water and set aside.
- In a large pan add hamburger, onion, and minced garlic. Cook until meat is browned and onion clear.
- Add in the vegetables, according to their cooking times (carrots first).
- Slowly add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the mashed potatoes. Add in the butter and milk then mash together. You can add salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder to taste if you would like more flavour.
- In a 9 x 18 casserole dish, layer first the meat and vegetable layer, then the potato layer on top. Leave potatoes spiked, rather than flattening them down, so they brown.
- Cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes until lightly browned. At this time, you can sprinkle cheese on top and broil for 1 minute.
- Let slightly cool down, and enjoy.
Note: If you would like to freeze this meal, stop at step 8. Let it fully cool down, cover, and freeze. When it comes time to cook it, let it thaw then proceed with step 9.