Shepherd's Pie

My own tweaked recipe for the Irish classic. Technically a cottage pie, unless you use lamb.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2

Put the potatoes in a 3-qt pot with cold water and a tsp of salt. Cover the pot and cook on high until you bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender. (Tip: when you put a fork on, you want it to feel like it's going into a rich cake. Not too hard, but not falling apart.)

Step 3

Once potatoes are softened, drain the water and return to the pot or another bowl (make sure it's scratch-resistant). Add a splash of milk, 1-2 tbsp of butter, and salt to taste. Mash until smooth and creamy. (Tip: Add more milk to make it creamier, more butter to make it richer, and salt to your preference.)

Step 4

While potatoes are heating up, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil (or ghee) on medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook until softened.

Step 5

Add the meat to the onions and then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary. Cook meat until browned. Drain any excess fat and return to heat.

Step 6

Add frozen peas, carrots, and corn to the meat, and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies have warmed and softened.

Step 7

Make the beer gravy by pouring 8-12 oz of dark beer in the meat and veggies mixture. Liquid should be visible, but it shouldn't be soupy. Season with some salt.

Step 8

Thicken the mixture by adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time until it's a nice, gravy thickness.

Step 9

In a 13" x 9" pan, spread the meat and veggies mixture evenly across the base of the pan.

Step 10

Scoop the mashed potatoes onto different spots across the meat & veggies, then spread the mashed potatoes using a spatula until it completely covers the meat and veggies edge-to-edge.

Step 11

Use a fork to make a nice little pattern on top. The texture helps it brown nicely!

Step 12

Stick in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the top has a nice little crust to it and it starts to brown. Optional: broil for 3-5 minutes at the end to brown the top more.