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Easy Shepherd’s Pie

ByLorraine

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:

Lamb Pasta Bake

Easy Lamb Tacos

Easy Lamb Stew

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Comfort food at its best, lamb mince topped with creamy mashed potatoes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 700 gram lamb mince
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 medium carrots diced
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoon steak and chops seasoning
  • 4 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 mutton stock cube
  • 2 cups lamb stock or vegetable stock
  • 3 tablespoon cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • salt

Mashed Potatoes

  • 1.1 kg potatoes cooked and mashed
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 150 ml milk
  • salt
  • pepper

Crust

  • 3 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoon cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

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. Should take about 30 minutes.
  • Drain the water from the potatoes and return the potatoes to the pot. Add the butter and milk to the pot and place on the stovetop, on low heat, just so the milk can heat up a little. Turn off the heat and use a masher and mash the potatoes.

Shepherd's Pie

  • Add the olive oil to a large pan, on medium heat
  • Add the bay leaf, onion, celery, garlic, thyme and carrots and cook until carrots and celery is soft.
  • Add the mince meat. Cook on high heat. Add the flour. Mix well.
  • Add the chilli powder, steak and chops seasoning and the tomato paste. Cook for a minute
  • Break up the stock cube and add it to the mince. Add the lamb stock.
  • Cook until gravy thickens, about 30 minutes. Season with more salt and add the pepper.
  • Preheat oven to 200 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. Drizzle the melted butter over the mashed potatoes. This will give it that golden brown bits on top
  • If you adding cheese you can sprinkle some over. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until its golden on top and the filling starts to bubble. Garnish with more fresh thyme
  • Stand for 5 minutes before serving

Notes

1.Ensure that your mashed potatoes is not a runny consistency, as it will weep into the filling. I don't dry out my potatoes, once drained, because I add it back to the stovetop and the moisture dries out. 
2. The filling should also be a little thick, you don't want a runny filling. The amount of flour and the time that I cooked the filling was sufficient to get it to the consistency I want it. You can cook it according to your taste.
3. Spread your mashed potatoes on top of the filling whilst it is still hot or it will be impossible to spread once cold.
4. You can add more cheese for the crust, if you prefer more. If I am feeling indulgent and I want to impress guests then I will add a whole lot of cheese.
5. The Worcestshire Sauce can be omitted or you can use some soy sauce as a substitute, it's not the end of the world if you don't add either. I have made the filling without it many times and it's perfect without it.
6. This does make a big portion so if you have extra you can freeze. You will need to thaw before baking in the oven.
7. I use lamb or vegetable stock for the filling. You can use beef stock if you prefer.
Keyword comfort food, ground lamb and mashed potatoes, shepherds pie
Tried this recipe?Mention @tamarindnthyme

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5 Comments

  1. 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!

    Reply

  2. 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

    Reply

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