American Shepherd's Pie, known elsewhere as Cottage Pie, is a mixture of ground beef and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and cheese and a great way to use up leftovers.
American Shepherd's Pie
What a gorgeous few days it has been down here in South Mississippi, and while it's a tiny bit cooler for a couple of days, I'm gonna sneak this Shepherd's Pie in real quick while I can. I actually made it a couple weeks back when I shared it with a few folks who were asking for my recipe, but then it got kinda hot early, so I held off on sharing it here on the site.Shepherd's Pie is really not much more than a baked meat and vegetable casserole topped with potatoes, often using leftovers. It's a little like a beef pot pie made with ground beef instead of roast meat. To the best of my knowledge, Shepherd's Pie in the U.S. is actually what would be considered Cottage Pie on the other side of the pond. Gastronomically speaking, an authentic Shepherd's pie is traditionally made using lamb, hence the name since, well, that is the animal most associated with a shepherd. Cottage Pie is a similar version made with beef.
If you ask for Cottage Pie in the United States, it's not likely that many people will know what you mean, but mention Shepherd's Pie, the majority of folks know exactly what it is. We don't eat a lot of lamb in the United States, so we call the version made with ground beef, Shepherd's Pie, and beef is what most folks here in The South would expect if you were to serve them Shepherd's Pie. Well, considering we Yanks have always been a bit stubborn and somewhat rebellious when it comes to being told what to do, Shepherd's Pie is what I'm gonna call mine too, though I guess I'll tack on the American to be clear.
Of course, as always with most classic recipes, Shepherd's Pie is widely varied in what ingredients it contains, generally depending on what you grew up with. Mine is pretty much a very basic version. Here's how I make it.
Butter a 2-1/2 quart baking dish and set aside. Brown 2 pounds of ground beef in a skillet, breaking up into smaller pieces; drain off any excess oil.
Add the bell pepper and onion.
Add the garlic and carrots and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add the drained tomatoes and sauce.
Add seasonings, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and flour and cook for about 5 minutes longer.
Add half of the cheese and the frozen peas; transfer to baking dish.
Spoon potatoes on top. You can spread them out into an even full layer across the top or spoon dollops on top, as I have pictured it here, which actually makes it easier to establish and spoon out individual servings.
Top with cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and top is light brown; remove and let rest 10 minutes.
Dig in!
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Recipe: American Shepherd's Pie
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 20 min |Cook time: 30 min | Yield: About 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 (10 ounce) can mild Rotel tomatoes, drained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), {affil link} or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 cup beef stock or broth
- Couple dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 4 cups mashed potatoes (see note)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-1/2 quart baking dish and set aside.
Brown ground beef in a skillet, breaking up into smaller pieces; drain off any excess oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Add the seasonings, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and flour; cook for about 5 minutes longer. Add half of the cheese and the frozen peas; transfer to baking dish. Transfer to baking dish. Drop dollops of potatoes on top and sprinkle potatoes with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and top is light brown; remove and let rest 10 minutes.
Cook's Note: I did the potatoes in dollops for serving portions and to photograph, but you certainly may simply spread the potatoes out. Instant potatoes may be used. May substitute a small can of drained, diced or stewed tomatoes for the Rotel. May also use frozen vegetables in place of fresh. Sauteed, sliced mushrooms or cooked green beans and sweet corn are all nice additions as well.
Homemade Potatoes: Peel and quarter 4 medium sized russets or Yukon gold potatoes, boil in plenty of water and 2 teaspoons of salt until tender, about 20-25 minutes; drain. Add 2 tablespoons butter and mash, adding a few tablespoons of milk at a time until potatoes are well moistened and fluffy.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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