Shepherd's Pie

I have been craving this veggie Shepherd’s Pie ever since we put it in the rotation for a belated St. Paddy’s meal, and I finally just whipped it up again. If I can just toot my own horn for a sec, but this one was a big hit! Tons of veggies, a hearty layer of creamy mashed potatoes spread on tap, and just a 10/10 comfort food dinner. And one that pretty much transported me back to the UK and the habitual weeknight pub dinner. A top tier Scottish meal in my eyes + I can so vividly remember having dinner at a local pub, ordering Shepherd’s Pie, and thoroughly enjoying the big warm bowl of food that would arrive in front of me. Yes - a Scottish dinner indeed. And admittedly not the most Irish thing we could have made for St Paddy’s Day, but this girl does not mess with corned beef, and despite not being the most authentic dinner choice, it still tasted great with a Guinness.

 
 

Make it classic. Make it meatless.

I was striving for a classic shepherd’s pie. No modern twists. No fancy cheese added to the potatoes. Just a straight up pub style Shepherd’s Pie. Some sauce-y ground meat, finely chopped carrots, and, my favorite, frozen peas. There is just something about frozen peas that screams UK, and I kind of love it. It was kind of my goal to nail this dish so we could add to our regular dinner rotation, and be excited about it. Flash forward. - I freaking nailed it.

Secret ingredient……

This one is fully meatless and I used my tried + true veggies sub for ground meat - Impossible Ground Beef. Texture, flavor, and how it cooks is a vegetarian’s dream. And I’m going to say the cliché thing that even makes me role my ey`es, but I swear you wouldn’t even know it’s fake meat. Point being that this plant based sub doesn’t come with any offputting, chemically flavors, and it works perfect in something like this. it get cooked with beef broth (I did take the leap of still using beef broth - sure), tomato paste, and lots of herbs + veggies. The filling is so sauce-y without being soupy, and it is delightful. The taste test before you pack out the casserole dish is a real chef treat.

 
 

The key for mashed potatoes - use all the things!

The butter. The heavy cream. The parmesan cheese. Honestly - just go for it. That was 100% my mentality and I walked away with zero regrets.

So fun. So tasty. Such a perfect meal to reach for when you want something that’s warm + perfect for a cozy night, and you want something other than soup. THIS is what you should make and something I will likely be making more often each Winter.

 
 

For the shepherd’s pie

  • 2 tbsp EVOO

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 lb. Impossible Ground Beef

  • 2 big carrots, peeled + diced

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire

  • Salt + pepper

  • 2 tbsp flour

  • 1 1/2 c. beef broth

  • 1/2 c. frozen peas

  • 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels

  • 1/4 fresh parsley, minced

  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

  • For garnish - some leftover fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives - whatever)

For the mashed potatoes

  • 2 lb. russett potatoes, peeled + diced (large cubes are great)

  • 1 stick of butter, melted

  • 1/3 c. half-and-half

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • Salt + pepper

  • 1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Start by making the filling. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add in the EVOO. Once hot, add in the onion + garlic. Cook for 10 minutes - the onions should be translucent + tender. Add in the Impossible Patty, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir the mixture every 3 minutes or so to make sure nothing is burning. Next stir in the carrots + cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt + pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the top + stir it into the mixture. Increase the heat to medium + pour in the beef broth. Add in the peas + corn. Bring the mixture to a simmer + let it continue to cook at a low simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Stir the filling regularly to make sure nothing it burning. You want to let it cook until most of the liquid has cooked off. The mixture should be moist + generously sauce-y without being soupy. Once you’ve achieved this consistency, turn the heat to low + stir in the fresh herbs. Turn off the heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Move to making the potatoes. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat + bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add in the diced potatoes + cook until they’re fork tender. Drain the potatoes + transfer them to a large heatproof bowl. Add in the butter, cream, your seasonings + the parm, and get to mashing. Use a good old fashion potato masher + just keep mashing until you have a smooth, velvety mixture.

Now it’s time to assemble. Transfer the veggies to a casserole dish + spread it in the pan so you have as even of a base layer as possible. Dollop the potatoes all over the top, and gently spread them over the veggie filling with a spatula to get a smooth, even top. Bake uncovered in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top should have a lightly browned, crispy top. Remove the cooked pie from the oven + let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle any herbs you have left all over the top + dip in. Enjoy every warm + dreamy bite.

Lesley ZehnerComment