The name "Shepherd's Pie" started to appear in the 1870s. It is a synonym to "Cottage Pie" which refers to an Irish or British meat pie made with minced beef and and a crust made with mashed potatoes. Shepherd's Pie is a slight variation of the original dish.
We'll get started:
Shepherd's Pie
You'll need the following items:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 or 3 carrots
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
- 5 to 7 medium sized potatoes
- gravy mix (or Bisto granules, a common item in England or Europe)
- Worchester sauce
- Peel your potatoes and places them in a big pot of salted boiling water. Allow them to cook all the way through. This may take some time, give or take 20 to 30 minutes.
- Chop your carrots in the mean time and mince your garlic. Set aside for now.
- Brown your meat, but be sure to save your juices from the meat. Set the juice aside in another pot.
- Make your gravy with the saved juice from your browned meat. There should be directions on the gravy package if you have any hesitations on what to do.
- When your potatoes are done, mash them well.
- Combine your meat, carrots, garlic, onion, salt and pepper in a large casserole dish. Pour your Worchester sauce in, but be liberal.
- Top your mixture with your potatoes and place a couple slabs of butter over the potatoes (to add color)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown around the edges.
There you have it. A simple and delicious favorite, sure to win over your family as it has mine. Feel free to make any adjustments within the recipe. Vegetables are easy to incorporate in the recipe. You can add green beans, peas, or anything else such as corn. You can also omit anything that you don't like, except the main ingredients. Enjoy it my friends and I'll be back tomorrow with more meals for you!
