Shepherd’s pie, a little bit of Irish fare…
Mmm… Shepherd’s pie…Our family eats a lot of meat; so it is natural for us to gravitate to some meat based meals as comfort foods. Shepherds pie is no exception- I love that it is one meal in a dish and my family also happens to like it and will eat it wholeheartedly. The bonus for everyone is that it is also a nutritious dish, so that makes me happy. And since this weather has decided it is not going to comply and warm up, it makes the perfect comfort meal to have for St Patrick’s day. For a more traditional Irish version, it can be made up with ground lamb vs ground beef. Either way, they are both good! 🙂
This recipe is a gluten free version I adjusted from some earlier regular versions of Shepherds pie, or cottage pie as some call it; but it is just as delicious and enjoyed as much as traditional “gluten” versions. Well… more so IMO. 🙂
Shepherd’s Pie
Heat oven to 350.
2 lbs ground meat [ either beef or lamb]
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup of onion – minced or crushed
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of a mixture of thyme, fennel, basil and savory.
1 cup of carrots [can be diced, I prefer baby carrots, cut up]
1 cup frozen peas
4 tablespoons tomato paste
6-8 good sized potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup of milk
¾ cup shredded cheddar
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Peel and cut potatoes into quarters, and place them to boil in a pot with plenty of water. Cover and boil for about 15 minutes, until  tender. Drain and cool
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While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil and add in the onions and begin sautéing until tender
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Add the ground beef and the minced [crushed] garlic, let that brown, add the tomato paste and mix completely,  heat until meat is thoroughly cooked, another 5 minutes.
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Place into 10-11 cup oven proof casserole dish.
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prepare potatoes – mash [do not whip] using butter and milk then add half of shredded cheese to the mashed potatoes- mix well.
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layer over the  meat mixture and spread across, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
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Place in oven at 350 for 20 minutes being careful not to burn the top
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Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Here are some fun ideas for St Patrick’s Day as well.
Do you have a favourite gluten free recipe you like to make for St. Patrick’s day? I would love to hear it, just leave me a comment below and a link if you have one!
Sheperd’s Pie is my favorite. I think I know what I’ll make for dinner tonight. I like to season my ground meat with Worcestershire sauce, but I am not sure if this is Gluten free. It is delicious though 😉
It is left out of this recipe, but can be added as some is supposed to be gluten free…just make sure to check it does not have malt vinegar. 🙂
Okay, I loveeee Shephereds pie! I’ve never made it myself before. I’m a chef so I’ll definitely bookmark this recipe for the future 🙂 Looks delicious, thanks for sharing.
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Why did I read this before lunch?! Now mine will pale in comparison 😉 But seriously, this looks so delicious. I’ve enjoyed eating this every time I’m in England.
Such an easy recipe… and so comforting on a damp, chilly evening!
I’ve never had Shepherd’s Pie, but I was just talking about it with a friend last night oddly enough. She’s a vegetarian and loves it. I think I would like a vegetarian version, but being forced to eat chicken pot pie as picky-eater during childhood really has turned me off to savory pies, especially with meat. But, I’ve been trying to eat things I wouldn’t have as a kid, so I’ll have to give Shepherd’s Pie a chance. I’m heading to Ireland and possibly England later this year, so perhaps I’ll give it a try then.
I have never eaten or made Shepherds pie, but I will now! This sounds like the perfect meal for rainy or snowy days, and we have uncharacteristically been having those this spring.