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Homemade Shepherd’s Pie

  • Author: ThinkBeef
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

Scale

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.