Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is one of those hearty, feel good meals that are great when it is cold and gray and you need something comforting. I especially like it because it is a sort of one stop shopping experience: no need to make sides when there are potatoes and veggies combined with your meat. Toss some cheese on top and you’re hitting almost all the food groups!
Shepherd’s pie is super easy to put together, especially when you use packaged mashed potatoes as I do. Brown some ground beef, add canned diced tomatoes, some frozen peas and a splash of Worcestershire sauce and your filling is done. Transfer to a pie plate and cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes (I buy the ones with sour cream and chives!) and a hearty sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese and bake it all until the cheese is melty and the edges of the potatoes are golden. It couldn’t be simpler!
As I’ve mentioned before, St. Patrick’s Day is my one day a year to be Irish so I really feel like I have to deliver with some traditional food. While my parents have the standard corned beef and cabbage, I just can’t bring myself to eat boiled vegetables. Cabbage? No thanks. Instead, this easy and delicious shepherd’s pie will be on the table while I have my once a year celebration of my Irish ancestry.
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 24 oz prepared mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown the ground beef in a frying pan. Break up the larger pieces to be sure everything is cooked through.
- Pour off any fat from the cooked beef.
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and mix.
- Drain the diced tomatoes and add them to the browned ground beef.
- Add the frozen peas to the beef and tomatoes. Cook gently until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- While the beef and veggies cook, heat the packaged mashed potatoes following the directions.
- Lightly spray a glass pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Transfer the meat and veggies to the pie plate.
- Spread the cooked mashed potatoes over the meat. You can use a spatula for this. Try not to mix the potatoes into the meat. Instead, handle the potatoes like you are frosting a cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the shredded cheese.
- Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. This will keep your oven clean in case of a spill.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges of the potatoes are golden, about thirty minutes.
- Let the shepherd's pie sit for about ten minutes to make it easier to cut neatly.
