Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Happy New Year Everyone! Before I share my Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe I want to wish you all lots of love, light and happiness for 2020. I am certainly looking forward to a year filled with everything that makes me happy.
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
I have realised that some things are beyond my control and therefore I have to let it be. Life is far too short to stress over things we have absolutely no control over.
So I guess I am going to have a stress-free year and I wish the same for you too. And on that note let me share with you my first recipe for the year.
Balanced Eating
I am not going to be of one those that’s going to tell you that I am going to post only healthy recipes because that’s not going to happen. Throughout the year I try and keep a balance in terms of foods we eat. So as always you will be getting a little bit of everything.
My kids seemed to be in need of some comfort food today. I have been cooking light for a few days so I thought they would appreciate this Easy Shepherd’s Pie with a lovely green salad. And yes they devoured it.
Shepherd’s pie is something I have been cooking since I was a teenager. It used to be one of my favourite dishes. A comforting dish made with minced lamb, veggies and mashed potatoes. Makes the perfect weeknight dinner.
It’s a fairly simple dish to make and tastes absolutely delicious. I remember inviting my teenage friends home for dinner one day and I made them this Shepherd’s Pie and a few other dishes.
I think I was only about 15 then and I felt like the queen hosting a dinner party. Luckily my mum was quite easy going and allowed me loads of freedom in the kitchen.
It was quite a successful dinner party, not much bells and whistles but it was great showing off my cooking skills…the good old days!
Difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie
If you’re wondering what’s the difference between cottage pie and Shepherd’s Pie. Cottage pie uses beef and Shepherd’s Pie used lamb.
This is one of those dishes that you can prepare in advance and cook it in the oven when you ready to serve. You can add cheese to the topping and the mashed potatoes if you prefer.
I didn’t add any cheese because my fussy eaters prefer not to have cheese. I think the lamb is also rich enough without the cheese but if you want to be indulgent go ahead and add that cheese.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my kids do.
More Lamb Recipes:
Easy Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 500 gram lamb mince
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 tspn fresh thyme leaves
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 tspn Ina Parmaan Garlic and Herb Seasoning
- 1/2 tspn chilli powder
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 mutton stock cube
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- salt
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 kg potatoes cooked and mashed
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp creme fraiche
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Mashed Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Place in a pot and top it up with cold water. Season with salt and boil until potatoes are soft and tender. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute
- Once the potatoes are dry. mash them using a potato masher or fork. Add the butter, Crème Fraiche, salt and pepper. Set aside
Shepherd's Pie
- Heat a large pan and brown the mince.
- Add the onion, celery, garlic, thyme and carrots and cook until carrots are tender
- Add the chilli powder, garlic and herb seasoning, bay leaf and the tomato paste. Cook for a minute
- Mix the stock cube together with the cornflour in 2 cups hot water and add it to the mince
- Cook until gravy thickens, about 20 minutes. Season with more salt
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Transfer the filling into an ovenproof dish, 30cm x 20cm. Spread mashed potatoes on top and use a fork to make some squiggles on top. This will give it that golden brown bits on top
- If you adding cheese you can sprinkle some over. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until its golden on top and the filling starts to bubble. Garnish with some parsley or more fresh thyme
- Stand for 5 minutes before serving
Notes
- If you are adding cheese you can use parmesan on top
- You can also drizzle some melted butter on top before popping the pie into the oven
- Although I used carrots you can add some peas too if you prefer
- You can use milk or cream in the mash if you prefer. Do not make your mash too runny as it will weep into the filling
- Ensure your filling is slightly cool before adding the mash on top to prevent it from weeping into the filling
- Spread your mash whilst it's hot as will become impossible to spread
- You can make this pie ahead and refrigerate. Pop it into the oven when ready to serve
- You can add some cheese to your mashed potatoes if you feeling extra indulgent
Hi Lorraine, I’m looking for your mini chicken pie recipe you made with chicken mince & cheese but I just can’t find it when I search for pie.
Please send me the link!
My apologies, here’s the link https://tamarindnthyme.com/mini-chicken-sausage-rolls-kid-friendly/
I am loving all your recipes, ai have tried your roti, rolls, breyani, and now I am going to try the Choclate sheet cake, they are simple and so easy to understand, and your quantity of the amount of ingredients are perfect, thank you
I tried this lorraine. Was really yummy. Chetna
Thank you so much Chetna:-)