Of all of my Mum’s dishes, her Shepherd’s Pie ranks in the top 2 for me! I don’t know if it is because she is from Scotland and they know how to do it up right there or because it is just that Delish! My Mum (as Mom is traditionally called in Scotland) made her pie with the usual suspects: stew beef; peas and a mashed potato topping. She did add a nice cheddar cheese on top as well. While watching the Food Network the other day I came upon Nancy Fuller (love her) making a Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tot Topping and thought that sounds different and tasty. So I made a hybrid of Nancy’s recipe and my Mum’s and though I can honestly say I will stick with my Mum’s original mashed potato topping in the future, I sure am glad I gave Nancy’s topping a try and I do believe you should also. “Variety is the spice of life.” 😉
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Brown your ground beef, chopped onion and minced garlic all together. This method really enhances the flavor of the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. Do not drain the fat. You won’t hear me say this often but fat in this dish truly adds flavor and moisture.
Onions, Garlic & Beef-Oh My! - Add the flour to the beef mixture and combine. Then add the beef stock and bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes to thicken the sauce.
I’m Getting Thickened! 
Stock Be Boiled! - Once the stock has thickened to your desired consistency add in the sweet peas and stir all together. Add some more salt and pepper to season to taste. Layer on the bottom of an oven safe baking dish. Set aside and shred your potatoes.
Sweet Peas! - Layer the seasoned (with a little salt and pepper) shredded potatoes over the beef mixture, covering every nook and cranny. Pour the melted butter over the top. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes. I assure you the meat underneath will not dry out, remember from the step above, fat is flavor and moisture. Remove from the oven and turn your oven to broil on high. Spread the cheddar cheese all over the top and place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts. WATCH it closely during this step.
Shredded Potatoes-This is a different look on me! - And finally oh finally, serve your family a heaping plate of that Pie and Enjoy! 😀
A Plate of Love with a New Twist!
- 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 large Onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups Beef Stock
- 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 bag Frozen Sweet Young Peas
- 4 large Idaho Potatoes -Or whatever Potatoes you like
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup Melted Butter
- Brown your ground beef, chopped onion and minced garlic all together. This method really enhances the flavor of the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. Do not drain the fat. You won't hear me say this often but fat in this dish truly adds flavor and moisture.
- Add the flour to the beef mixture and combine. Then add the beef stock and bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Once the stock has thickened to your desired consistency add in the sweet peas and stir all together. Add some more salt and pepper to season to taste. Layer on the bottom of an oven safe baking dish. Set aside and shred your potatoes.
- Layer the seasoned (with a little salt and pepper) shredded potatoes over the beef mixture, covering every nook and cranny. Pour the melted butter over the top. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes. I assure you the meat underneath will not dry out, remember from the step above, fat is flavor and moisture. Remove from the oven and turn your oven to broil on high. Spread the cheddar cheese all over the top and place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts. WATCH it closely during this step.
- And finally oh finally, serve your family a heaping plate of that Pie and Enjoy!
I have to admit the texture of the potatoes was not at all what I was used to and threw me off a bit. But then after the second or third helping I got used to it! However, here is My Mum's Shepherd's Pie, just substitute with the Mashed Potatoes. Two options with one recipe—Win-Win!
Kimberly
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