Comfort Cuisine: Shepherd’s Pie
Who doesn’t need a bit of comfort food these days? Savory meat and vegetables in an herby sauce with mashed potatoes and a crispy cheese topping. What is not to love here? I use turkey or beef, my choice depends on what is on sale in the supermarket on the day. I like to use instant mashed potatoes for this recipe as well for convenience. There are honestly so many versions of the recipe(lamb, tomato sauce, beef, mushrooms all show up in different iterations), I just say make it your own and something you love.
Ingredients
For the filling:
600 grams/ 1.3 lbs of ground meat ( I use a mix beef or turkey)
1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
one garlic clove, stem removed then minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon chicken broth/beef/ vegetable broth powder (depends on what kind of meat you use)
1 tablespoon flour 1 heaping teaspoon parsley, thyme or tarragon
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
½ cup/115 grams of frozen peas
¾ cup/ 175ml of water
For the top:
2 cups/200 grams mashed potatoes ( I use instant mashed potatoes)
½ cup/50 grams of shredded cheese like Swiss or ¼ cup/25 grams grated like parmesan
Directions
This recipe works best when you have the mashed potatoes already made and at room temperature. Set aside. Make the meat marinade and let it marinate for ten minutes in the fridge. In a small bowl mix the chicken broth powder, flour and herbs and set aside. Grab a large skillet (that you can cover) – this can also be the final serving dish if you choose or you can fill a pie plate. Cook the meat over medium heat. Once it is no longer pink, add the bowl of flour and herbs and mix through.
Add the peas and carrots and the water and let the mix bubble. At this point you can decide if you want lots of sauce or more of a thick filling. I go somewhere in between. Once the sauce is the consistency to your liking, top the dish with mashed potatoes and spread evenly. (This is why they need to be room temperature and also why I use instant – much easier to manage) Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in an oven on broil until the cheese gets melted and a bit browned – this can be anywhere between 5-8 minutes – ovens vary, keep an eye on it! Done.