Shepherd's Pie

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I made a shepherd's pie for dinner last night. The base is reasonably traditional with lamb the only meat. I use white potatoes for the mash because they're much creamier than regular russet potatoes. I also add a touch of parmesan cheese to the top.

I like to make the base very dry-while cooking in the oven it will develop some juices and it ends up being moist without being runny or greasy.






It works out to about $3.25/serving, and there is enough for a dinner and a couple of lunches.
 
Very nice work Pops.

We did a sourdough steak sandwich with warm quinoa kale salad tossed in a very similar US pan this evening.

Love your bench tops.
 
Love Shepherd's Pie!
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M'mmmmm!
 
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
That looks like a Lodge cast iron pan.


One of several. Cast iron/enameled cast iron is the only thing I cook with. I have a dozen or so well-seasoned pieces.

There's nothing better to cook with than cast iron.
 
I've had a tumultuous relationship with lamb; sometimes I love it and sometimes not. Lately I've been using a very lean grass-fed ground beef from a local farm. I suppose that makes it cottage pie. I'll try my Lodge Logic skillet next time too.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Great comfort food there Pop! I have a good recipe for it. Makes enough for a couple of meals and it sticks to your ribs. I like to lightly rake the top in circles with a fork, then brown under a broiler to crisp. Well seasoned cast iron is a great choice for this dish.
 
Originally Posted By: vintageant
Never seen corn in a Shepherd's Pie, but will give that a shot next time.

As this is BITOG, to keep it relevant, what oil did you use?


No oil used. I keep the base as dry as possible. Once it goes into the oven there are just enough natural juices produced to keep it moist, but not so much that it becomes watery or greasy.

Since the traditional shepherds pie was used to clean up leftovers, just about anything can be used to enhance it. The corn and peas were frozen from last summer. The tomatoes were canned last fall. The lamb is from our local locker, so just about everything in it was produced either in our garden or very close by.
 
Your shepherd's pie looks great!

As a suggestion for those who like shepherd's pie you should try the French version, Parmentier. My best girl grew up in the south of France and makes it a couple times a month. Here's a recipe similar to the one she makes: http://www.food.com/recipe/hachis-parmentier-mashed-potato-casserole-373316 Although my girl adds a can of corn niblets to the meat before it goes in the baking dish. Sometimes she will use finely cubed steak instead of ground beef if she's feeling frisky. You can use Italian seasoning instead of Herbs de Provence, and grated parmesan on top instead of gruyere (gruyere is expensive).
 
I do a poor man's pie about every other week, especially in winter. As it uses beef not lamb it's not a legit sheperds pie.

Cook a pound of hamburger, drain fat. Mix with a can of cream of celery soup, spread around the bottom of a glass brownie pan.

Throw a 1lb bag of frozen veggies on the middle layer. Defrost in microwave if you care. I use the ghetto mix of peas, carrots, corn, string- and lima beans.

Mashed white potatoes, I whip in milk and butter so they can sculpt mountain peaks. Might be artificial to purists. I smooth these with a wooden spoon to make a smooth top surface, even though crusty burnt parts are yummy.

Top with Cabot "Seriously Sharp" cheddar cheese. Toss in oven for whatever for however long... 325 for an hour and a quarter is typical. Good for making around screaming kids and a spouse who doesn't know when she'll be home.

Though I'm sure yours has more fresh ingredients. I'm particularly impressed with the meat to veggie ratio.
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