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Unorthodox Shepherd's Pie

Source of Recipe

From "Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook" by Diane Mott Davidson


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe has 'unorthodox' in the title because it is not made with lamb. But in this country, most of what we call 'shepherd's pie' is made with ground beef. Our Denver Costco used to sell a version of this dish (made with ground beef), and the family loved it. There were many groans from the family when Costco stopped carrying the dish. Jim asked if I could try to duplicate it, and this recipe is the result. This dish is truly amazing if you use homemade chicken stock. The pie goes well with a fruit salad."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 pounds lean ground beef
â—¦ 2 cups chopped yellow onions
â—¦ 2 cups chopped celery
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the potatoes
â—¦ ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning the potatoes
â—¦ 1 cup frozen baby peas
â—¦ 1 cup frozen baby corn kernels
â—¦ 4 ½ pounds russet (baking) potatoes
â—¦ 1 ½ cups half-and-half
â—¦ 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
â—¦ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into bits
â—¦ Paprika


Recipe

Bring a large saucepan of salted spring water to a boil. Peel the potatoes and lower them into the water. Cook until tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

In a very large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the ground beef, onions, and celery and cook until the beef is browned and the vegetables are limp. Add the flour and stir until the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock. Stir until completely combined, then stir in the thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the mixture is bubbling and thickened. Stir in the peas and corn and set aside. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half until it is steaming, but not boiling.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two 9-inch deep-dish pie plates. Grease a large baking sheet or line it with a silicone baking mat. (This makes for easier cleanup).

Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the potatoes on low speed, slowly adding the hot half-and-half, the cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste, until the ingredients are well mixed. Place half the beef mixture in each of the two pie plates. Dividing evenly, top the beef mixture with the mashed potatoes. Scatter the butter bits on top of each potato mixture. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

Place the pies on the baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned and the pies are completely heated through.

Makes 8 large servings