Nonnas Shepherds Pie Recipes

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
• Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

DARINA ALLEN'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Cook the duck: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season duck generously with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan in one layer. Scatter with onion, carrot and celery, thyme sprig, bay leaf and allspice, then add broth and wine (liquid will not cover). Roast, uncovered about 30 minutes, until skin has browned nicely. Turn legs over, cover pan tightly and return to oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Cook 1 hour, or until meat is quite tender when probed with a fork.
• Remove legs from pan and set aside to cool on a baking sheet. Pour liquid from roasting pan into a measuring cup. There should be about 3 cups; add broth if necessary. Spoon off any rising fat (save if you wish for another use). When duck meat is cool enough to handle, pull it off the bones and roughly chop, discarding gristle and skin. (This step may be done up to 2 days in advance, if desired.)
• Make the filling: In a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add flour, stir well to coat and continue cooking until mixture is a nutty brown, about 5 minutes more. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the braising liquid, whisking well as mixture thickens and reducing heat to a simmer. Taste and add more liquid as needed until you have a medium-thick gravy. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Off the heat, carefully fold in chopped duck meat and parsley. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or 4-quart casserole.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and parsnips. When water returns to the boil, adjust heat to a brisk simmer and cook until completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return potatoes and parsnips to pot and mash with 6 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, thinning with a little cooking liquid if mixture seems dry.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop large spoonfuls of the mash evenly over filling. Use a knife or spatula to spread mixture until it evenly covers the top. Cut the 2 tablespoons butter into small chunks, dot over the top, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until bubbling at the edges and well browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

NAN'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• 1. Peel the potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, and then thinly slice; place in a large saucepan with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Right after you put the potatoes on to cook, begin the filling: Cook the ground beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and turning frequently until the meat is nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• 3. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same skillet. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and tender, about 6 minutes. Return the browned meat to the pan and stir in the tomato puree and cayenne. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and cover to keep warm.
• 4. Drain the cooked potatoes well and return them to the pot. Mash well with a potato masher, and then stir in the half-and-half, salt, and pepper to taste. Spoon the warm meat mixture into a 2 1/2-to 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle the Cheddar on top. Spoon the potatoes on top of the cheese, spreading them over the meat, leaving a scant inch border around the edge.
• 5. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top and then bake until the potatoes are golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

NONNA'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Saute uncooked beef until browned. Drain off the fat and set aside.
• (If you are using cooked leftover meat, you don't have to do anything except add it to the cooked veggie mixture.)
• In the heated oil, saute onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, (and any other leftover veggies you intend to use) salt, pepper and a few dashes of the Worcestershire Sauce. Saute until the onion is translucent and the veggies cooked a little. Mix this with the browned meat. Set aside.
• Mashed potatoes: make as you would normal mashed potatoes adding in the butter, milk, and salt.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it. Add to the mashed potato mixture. Blend thoroughly.
• In a casserole dish that is about 9" x 13" x 4", place the meat/veggie mixture filling the bottom evenly. On top of that, add the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the parmesian cheese and parsley.
• Bake at 350ºF for about 25 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are golden.

NANA'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brown ground beef and onion in skillet;drain.
• Boil, mash and season potatoes.
• Cook peas and carrots (you could also use canned peas and carrots if you wish).
• Bake pie crust according to package directions.
• Blend in soup with meat and onion.
• Layer ground meat in pie shell, if adding cheese put on top of meat layer then add vegetables and top with mashed potatoes.
• Place pie in preheated oven and bake until heated through.

IRISH SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in ground lamb and onion; cook and stir until meat is brown and crumbly, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in flour until incorporated. Mix in garlic, ketchup, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer; cook and stir until thick, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Remove lamb mixture from heat, then stir in peas and carrots until combined.
• Spread lamb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
• Place potatoes into a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to the pot.
• Mash Irish cheese, cream cheese, butter, and cayenne pepper into potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Whisk together egg yolk and milk in a small bowl; stir into mashed potato mixture.
• Top lamb mixture in the baking dish with mashed potatoes; spread evenly to cover.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.

ITALIAN SHEPHERD'S PIES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the marinara sauce, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon into four 8-oz. ramekins or custard cups; set aside., In a small bowl, combine the flour, cheese, baking powder, salt and Italian seasoning. Stir in milk and butter just until moistened. Spoon dough over meat mixture; place ramekins on a baking sheet., Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 400°. Place pies on a baking sheet; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.