Beth’s Shepherd Pie
Beth’s Shepherd Pie, in A Little Christmas Magic, helps win her Logan’s attention. Because, as the old saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is his stomach. This Shepherd’s Pie is classic New England comfort food. Traditionally, it’s made with creamed corn, but it’s not my favorite, so I switched it to peas and carrots. That’s the joy of recipes; most are adaptable.
Beth’s Shepherd Pie
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon chives
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground lamb *
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and return to pot (off the heat). Add the milk, butter, salt, pepper and chives. Mash until smooth.
- Filling: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and onion and, breaking up the meat, cook for 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and the onions are softened. Drain the fat.
- In a measuring cup, combine the broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add to the beef and cook, stirring, until bubbly and thickened. Stir in the parsley.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer lamb mixture to a shallow 2-quart casserole. Top with corn kernels. Drop large spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture. Smooth the potatoes over the meat. Bake for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden.
Notes
Soy crumbles work well, too—just skip the browning stage. I’ve also made this with ground turkey or beef.
I often use a bag of peas and carrots instead of corn.
From A Little Christmas Magic
See also Beth’s Russian Teacakes from A Little Christmas Magic
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