Shepherd’s pie topping is often made with mashed potato mixed with cream and cheese. My version though has fewer calories than most of the recipes online. There is no cheese nor cream in my shepherd’s pie recipe, in fact, I also skipped the beef stock, but I promise you that the taste will still amaze you.
Making shepherd’s pie is easy, and it consists of two delicious parts, thick lamb or beef stew topped with creamy mashed potato. I didn’t use flour to thicken the lamb sauce but increased the amount of onion and added mushrooms which made the sauce thick and flavorful.
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
I used olive oil and butter to fry the onion, the combination of these two fats make the onion, and the added vegetables taste awesome. The onion must be fried first until light brown, at this stage the onions texture is perfect to thicken the lamb sauce later.
Adding celery instead of garlic gave warmth to this shepherd’s pie recipe. The chopped carrots made the shepherd’s pie colorful and added a little sweetness which cut the bitterness that sometimes found in the tomato paste. Mushroom gave a meaty texture to the sauce, and therefore we don’t need to add flour.
Preparing The Mashed Potato for the Shepherd’s Pie
Use any potatoes you like. Butter, milk, and the seasoning play the biggest role here. Do not boil the potato to a point where it turns into a soupy mashed potato. When you insert a knife in the potato, and it goes through with minor resistance. Drain the potato completely and add all the ingredients while the potatoes are still hot. Mashed the potatoes until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
LESS SODIUM!
Instead of using beef or chicken stock, I skipped it to reduce the amount of sodium; I depended on the vegetables, the lamb, and the seasoning to bring out a lot of flavors. But, this shepherd’s pie recipe is forgiving, so you can add cream instead of milk in the mashed potato if you wish. If you’d like to add cheese, then add it to the mashed potato and not on top of it before baking.
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Now let’s make some shepherd’s pie!
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients
MAKING THE FILLING
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 stick celery finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 11 button mushrooms sliced
- 1 lb ground lamb you can use beef
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup green peas
FOR THE MASHED POTATO
- 5 medium potatoes skinned and cut in quarters
- Enough water to boil the potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
MAKING THE FILLING:
- In a pan, add butter and olive oil. When hot, add the onion and sauté until light brown.
- Add the celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes on medium high stirring continuously to prevent burning the vegetables.
- Add the lamb or beef and stir until the meat is no longer pink, add the seasoning and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes. Add the water, cook until the beef is completely cooked. Add the green peas and stir for two minutes.
MAKING THE MASHED POTATO
- In a deep pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil for 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, add the salt, black pepper, and butter. Mash the potatoes until smooth. The mashed potato should not be runny, therefore, now, add the milk gradually until you reach a thick but spreadable texture.
- In a 10-inch baking pan add the beef. Spread the mashed potatoes on top evenly. Using a fork make long lines or leave it as is, it’s up to you.
- Turn the oven to broiling. Broil the shepherd’s pie until the mashed potato is golden brown.
- Serve hot with green vegetables on the side.
Nutrition
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