Shepards pie is comfort food made with lamb mince. This is perfect for a cold or rainy night, and a great meal for children. It is a good way to get vegetables into a meal, and you can omit the spices if you want to. However, I think they add to the flavour of the dish.
Shepards pie is made from minced lamb, hence the name shepard. This is very similar to cottage pie which is made from ground beef. The most common and accepted topping is mashed potatoes. Essential to both dishes is the use of onions. In our house, these need to be cooked down until completely soft as Dave does not like them to be crunchy. For added goodness you can toss in peas, carrots or celery. To make the topping even better, consider adding some grated cheese. For my recipe I have added the peas to the potatoes to get a green coloured topping. I also used mushrooms as they add to the meatiness of the dish. No matter what you choose to do, or how you make yours, this is a great dish to have in the freezer.
Shepards Pie
Ingredients
- 15 mls olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cm root ginger finely sliced
- 5 mls ras el hanout, or mixed spice
- 250 g lamb mince
- 2 tomatoes grated
- 1 carrot grated
- 125 g mushrooms sliced
- 3 potatoes cut into quarters
- 15 g butter
- 125 mls frozen peas
- 30 mls crème fraîche
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius
- heat the olive oil in a frying pan
- sauté the onions
- add the garlic, ginger, ras el hanout and cook until you can smell the spices
- add the mince and brown
- add the tomatoes, carrot and mushrooms
- season and cook until the mushrooms are soft
- set aside to cool
- while you are doing this steam your potatoes
- when soft melt some butter in a pot and put the potatoes through a ricer
- purée the peas and add to the potatoes with the crème fraîche
- season
- add the mince to an oven proof dish
- spoon or pipe on the potato and pea mixture
- bake for 20 minutes
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Nice one, can make this when I can’t sleep; for the next next’s supper #funnynewroutine
I suppose this is a good way of occupying your non sleeping time #cooking BTW, this was made the night you made cottage pie – I am so far behind in posting my recipes 🙂
I love this dish so much…a great idea with weather like this. Enjoy your day my friend oxo
perfect for the rain season – which was when I made it. Have a great day xox
Oooh yummy – do you know that i have neither tasted nor – well, i guess it stands to reason – made a Shepherds Pie. I am def gonna give this one a go!!! Tandy could i please get the badge for the bloggers conference 2011 ….. I would still like to get there and WILL if that other thing doesnt happen! xxxxx
so glad I can give you a new recipe to try! copy and paste the following into your badges:
#FBI2011
Book now
Let me know about ‘the other thing’ xox
This sounds great, as always. I like the addition of the spices and the peas to the mash.
I add spices to a lot of our meals 🙂
Aah yes, such comfort food. We also do a potato and carrot combo for the top. On occasion we have also spread a tin of baked beans between the meat and potato layer. I love the idea of the peas with the spuds.
🙂 Mandy
I am going to have to try the carrots – but not the baked beans (I do not like the tomato sauce smell of them) xox
Shepherd’s Pie is my favorite Easter dish. I find it perfect for celebrating. Mmmm… I feel like having some! 🙂
hi Rita, thanks for the visit. This is comfort food 🙂