It goes without saying that I am a huge fan of shepherd's pie. It's one of the things I've made since the beginning of our married days and this recipe is my new go-to. I made a different version before, which was great, but something seemed to be missing. And this recipe definitely found it.
Shepherd's Pie
serves 6-8
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I used lean ground turkey)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
3 medium carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried (I opted for dried)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold
1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
2/3 cup 1% lowfat milk
2 tablespoons butter
In a large nonstick skillet cook the meat over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Drain any fat remaining in the skillet.
Heat the oil in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately-high. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer being sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan.
**Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Arrange the potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the basket and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher until smooth. Heat the milk, butter, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir into the potato mixture.
Spread the potato mixture on top of the meat and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.
Heat the oil in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately-high. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer being sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan.
**Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Arrange the potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the basket and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher until smooth. Heat the milk, butter, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir into the potato mixture.
Spread the potato mixture on top of the meat and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.
**I used potato buds this time since we have a lot we need to use up, so I haven't made her mashed potatoes yet, but based on the rest of the dish, I bet they're amazing. You could also just use a couple of potatoes to replace the cauliflower to make regular mashed potatoes on top of the beef and veggies mixture.
Enjoy!
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