Shepard Pie With Ground Beef Gravy

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This shepherd's pie recipe is made with ground beef, a savory rosemary infused gravy and lots of vegetables. It's topped with creamy white cheddar mashed potatoes! You'll be happy to find out most of the ingredients are pantry staples.

This recipe was originally published on October 9th, 2017.

Shepherd's pie is such a classic cold weather dinner. It's not the quickest shepherd's pie recipe but it is the most delicious! The white cheddar mashed potatoes do add time to your dinner prep but (omg) they are amazing.

I could eat a plate of just the mashed potatoes!

If you stock basic items in your pantry and fridge you probably have everything on hand that you need to make this.  And if not, you'll want to add this one to next week's dinner lineup.

To get you ready for fall, I'd also try out this chicken gnocchi soup it's a 30 minute meal and the perfect segue into heavier winter dinners.

While baking, the aromas that fill the house are just amazing, it smells like warmth, love and happiness.

My kids love this shepherds pie, it's always a hit with the whole household and it's the perfect next day lunch.

If your kids have issues with vegetables, try adding some cheddar cheese to the potatoes, it may entice them just enough to give it a shot.

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What Is Shepherd's Pie?

Shepherd's pie is a savory pie dish topped with mashed potatoes. It's also called cottage pie. This particular recipe is made with ground beef, vegetables, a savory gravy and cheesy russet mashed potatoes on top.

If you are wondering, where did shepherd's pie originate, it was England. Although many believe it has an Irish origin, the history hails from the English.

Hundreds of years ago it was originally called cottage pie and after that the name Shepherd's pie came about.

Despite shepherd's pie more commonly referring to lamb being used, it's more common in the US to associate shepherd's pie with the ground beef variation.

It's super savory.  Like mouth watering, stuff your face, savory goodness.  It's not the most attractive looking meal but the flavors are amazing.

A few favorite ground beef recipes is this lasagna tortellini soup and this easy stovetop gnocchi lasagna.

Ingredients

The ingredients are pretty basic. There really isn't anything fancy in the recipe. It's all about using things you have to elevate the flavors and make a boring dish, fantastic.

The vegetables are onions, carrots, peas, corn and garlic. Go for a sweet yellow onion if you can.

The worcestershire and tomato paste are truly the magic secret ingredients. They give the meat mixture so much flavor, the gravy gets super savory. I swear that tomato paste is the secret ingredient in my world's best beef stroganoff recipe as well.

Rosemary is the only herb in this recipe and you don't want to be stingy with it. It's also the main seasoning ingredient, besides salt and pepper. Opt for fresh rosemary when you can and dry if you are in a pinch.

Now let's talk about those potatoes on top. The mashed potatoes are full of extra sharp white cheddar cheese and Irish butter which makes them so rich and creamy.

Or you can make them dairy free and instead of butter or milk, use some chicken broth, salt and pepper.

FAQ

Can I make this gluten free?

Yes! I've made this for family, altering it to be gluten free for them, take out any flour from the recipe and replace it with half the amount using cornstarch.

Can I make this recipe dairy free?

Yes you can! You can omit the butter when sautéing the vegetables and all the dairy in the mashed potatoes. Instead, use warm chicken broth to whip up the potatoes, I've made this recipe dairy free many times and it turns out great.

What type of potatoes do I need to use?

Russet potatoes work the best, the mash well and have the best texture and traditional flavor.

Can I make this with pork, lamb or venison?

So I've never tried using another meat in this shepherd's pie recipe so I wouldn't be able to advise on how it will turn out.

What is Irish butter?

It is a European style butter that has a higher butterfat content, it also has a more vibrant yellow color. Kerrygold is a popular brand you can get at the grocery store, it has a gold wrapper. It has so much more flavor than regular butter.

Fall Favorite Recipes

• World's Best Beef Stroganoff - a Modern Crumb fan favorite
• 30 Minute Broccoli Cheddar Soup - big chunks of broccoli, extra cheesy
• Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup - better than the restaurant!
• Homemade Chicken Pot Pie - a 5 minute homemade crust, makes this recipe an easy family favorite
• 20 Minute Pumpkin Ravioli - this is a quick and easy family favorite dinner
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup - a timeless classic

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp Irish butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped up
• 1 ½ c chicken broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 c frozen peas
• 1 c frozen corn
• salt, to taste

mashed potatoes

• 2 ½ lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut in even cubes (about 3 russets)
• 3 tbsp Irish butter, melted
• ¼ c milk, warmed + more if needed
• 4 oz extra sharp white cheddar, grated
• ⅓ c heavy cream, warmed
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, a pinch

Instructions

1. Over medium heat, brown the ground beef in a pan
2. Drain the excess grease or use a few paper towels collect the excess grease and discard
3. Add in the 2 tbsp Irish butter, diced onions, sliced carrots and minced garlic
4. Cover your pan with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat to soften the vegetables
5. Add 2 tbsp of flour to the pan and stir for 2 minutes
6. Pour in the chicken broth, worcestershire, tomato pasta, fresh rosemary, ½ tsp salt, pepper, frozen corn and frozen peas
7. Bring this to a rolling boil and allow the liquid to thicken, resembling a gravy
8. Turn heat to low and cover the pan while preparing the mashed potatoes (stir occasionally)
9. Preheat oven to 375
10. Add the peeled and cubed potatoes to a pot, cover with water (a few pinches of salt) and boil until the potatoes are fork tender
11. Drain the potatoes then return them to the pan, over low heat, and steam the remaining water from the potatoes for a few minutes
12. Transfer to a large bowl, mash until fluffy
13. Stir in 3 tbsp melted butter
14. Stirring after each addition in this order add the warm milk, white cheddar, warm cream a pinch of salt and pepper (add more warm milk if too thick)
15. Pour the meat filling into a baking dish, top it with the mashed potatoes
16. Place a few pats of butter on top of the potatoes (optional)
17. Bake 45 minutes until golden and bubbly
18. Serve

Notes

1. Bringing the potatoes back to the pan, helps release extra moisture, which makes the mashed potatoes fluffier and less likely to get gummy
2. You can substitute dried rosemary for fresh, using 1 ½ tsp
3. Adding melted butter to the potatoes is important, this locks the butter to the potatoes better giving it more flavor
4. If you don't have extra sharp white cheddar, any type of cheddar will work as a substitute
5. For even more flavor you can add a few cut up bits of cold irish butter to the potatoes right before spreading them on, they will melt when it bakes! (see my photos for a before baking photo)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 407 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 77mg Sodium: 464mg Carbohydrates: 35g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 4g Protein: 20g

This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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Source: https://moderncrumb.com/easy-ground-beef-shepherds-pie/

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