The mushrooms in this shepherd’s pie recipe add a depth of flavour and help bulk up this classic beef comfort food recipe. You can substitute finely chopped zucchini or diced carrots for the mushrooms if you prefer.
Homemade Shepherd’s Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
Potato Topping
2 lb (1 kg) russet (baking) or yellow flesh potatoes (about 6), peeled and quartered
Salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup (125 to 175 mL) milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) EACH butter and mayonnaise
Pepper
Beef Filling
1 lb (500 g) Medium or Lean Ground Beef
8 oz (250 g) mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) EACH dried thyme and oregano leaves
3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) beef broth
3 tbsp (45 mL) ketchup, barbecue sauce or steak sauce
Salt and pepper
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) frozen corn kernels or mixed diced vegetables (carrots, corn and peas)
Instructions
- Potato Topping: Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm) and season water with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
- Drain potatoes and return to pan; heat over medium heat just until excess water evaporates. Stir in 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk, the butter and mayonnaise; bring to simmer. Remove from heat and mash, add more milk, as necessary, until smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Beef Filling: Meanwhile, cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often and using back of spoon to break up beef into chunks, for 8 to 10 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Drain, if necessary.
- Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme and oregano to skillet; reduce heat to medium heat and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Stir in broth and ketchup; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in corn.
- Spread meat mixture into shallow 12 x 8-inch (2.5 L) glass or ceramic baking dish (see Notes). Top with small spoonfuls of Potato Topping and spread evenly. Bake in 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until filling is bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can use a slightly smaller or larger baking dish as long as there is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space below the rim once it’s filled to allow for the pie to bubble up without spilling over. If you have extra filling and potatoes, use a small baking dish to make a mini pie, or simply eat it while you’re waiting for the big one to bake!
If you don’t have a large baking dish, you can purchase reusable foil containers at discount, hardware and large supermarkets. You can use one large or three small, two-portion containers for this recipe, dividing the filling and topping between them.
