Shepherd’s Pie that sticks to you

As much as I love the warmer weather, I have to say there really is no bigger food comfort than a warm dish that makes you feel cozy on a freezing day. You know, those foods that feel like they stick to your insides and make you feel wonderful and satisfied and afterwards, all you want to do is curl up in front of a fire and not move…ever. Winter makes me think of yummy stews, chili, homemade mac and cheese, thick soups. One of Brett’s favorite winter foods happens to be Shepherd’s Pie. It’s an old British traditional dish, usually made with lamb mince.

In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.

The term “shepherd’s pie” did not appear until the 1870s, and since then it has been used synonymously with “cottage pie”, regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or mutton. There is now a popular tendency for “shepherd’s pie” to be used when the meat is mutton or lamb, with the suggested origin being that shepherds are concerned with sheep and not cattle, however this may be an example of folk etymology.

This a delicious, filling dish that is surprisingly healthy. There is butter (or course), but when eating it, the dish doesn’t feel heavy – I didn’t feel left with that “brick in my stomach” feeling.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables – chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Directions:
Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.

This came out pretty good. I made some more mashed potatoes that didn’t go in the oven and we just added to our plates because I used 2 pounds of ground beef. I halved the beef broth and put a full tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in and it was delicious.