Shepherd's Pie - Recipes Inspired by Mom

This recipe was originally named “hamburg, peas and potatoes” by my Mother. I grew up with this casserole on the dinner table every other month or so. It was not terribly flavorful, and I have to be honest when I say it was not my favorite! Having said that – I was determined to improve on this most basic of Shepherd’s pie recipes! I know my Mom would be proud of this rendition, and would LOVE it as well! Remember that feeding a family of 6 back in the 1960s had to be economical. I’m sure that is what made this a popular choice for my Mom. It was quick, and inexpensive. She used a layer of ground beef, followed by a layer of canned peas, then topped with mashed potatoes. Remember Potato Buds?? It was baked til bubbly and browned. She would add a salad, and that would be dinner for the family.

I stewed over this one for quite a while. I LOVE to roast fresh vegetables, and thought that should be the base of my version. So I roasted some carrots, and frozen peas. I caramelized some onions in butter, til soft, sweet, and browned! The smell in my kitchen was amazing! I re-created a ground beef mixture, whipped up some mashed potatoes from scratch, then set to putting this dish together.

Recipe:

1 lb ground beef
1 c chopped fresh mushrooms
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 c beef broth
1 Tbsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and mushrooms, then add tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, fresh herbs and garlic. Saute til combined. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add beef broth – stir, and cook on low til thickened. Set aside to cool.

Prepare vegetables:

1 – 12 oz. pkg frozen peas
2 c carrots, chopped small

Place carrots on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper. Toss, and roast in the oven set at 400 degrees, for 20 min. Remove from oven, toss carrots. Add frozen peas to the sheet pan, and return to oven for 5-10 min. Remove from oven, and cool.

Prepare onions:

Slice 1 large onion and saute in 3 Tbsp butter in large skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir frequently with burner on med/high. You want to caramelize the onions, and give them a golden brown color. Set aside.

Prepare potato mixture:

5-6 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 c sour cream
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes in large pot with salted water, til tender. Drain, and add to stand mixer. Blend with a whisk attachment, til smooth. Add butter, sour cream, and heavy cream. Whip til fluffy. Add cheddar cheese, and whisk til smooth. Set aside.

This recipe will make 1 pie pan, and 2 individual ramekins, or 1 med casserole.

Set oven at 375 degrees. Split the meat mixture evenly between pans. Now begin the layering process. Add caramelized onions.

Next, add the peas, and carrots.

Finally, top each container with mashed potatoes. You can spread the potatoes over each container with a knife or spoon, or pipe the potato mixture onto each container using a piping bag, and frosting tip. This makes them super elegant and pretty!