Our week of cooking continues on The Daily Connoisseur, with today's Shepherd's Pie recipe. Shepherd's pie (or to be technical, cottage pie, since this recipe uses ground beef) is great for feeding a large crowd of people. This recipe makes three extra large pies. I love to have these on hand in the freezer to bring out when unexpected guests arrive. Shepherd's pie is lovely served piping hot with a side salad and dinner rolls. It's a hearty dish that is welcome comfort food during the fall and winter seasons!
This meal is adapted from my Great British Cooking cookbook.
Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)
(Makes 3 large pies or 6 small pies)
extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 lbs ground beef
4 6oz cans tomato paste
3 Tbs bouillon (chicken, beef or vegetable)
3 Tbs flour
3 cups broth
1 cup water
4-6 cups frozen mixed vegetables
6 cups mashed potatoes
Cook the chopped onion with a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat in a large pot until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Place the ground beef into pot and cook until brown. Drain the fat from the cooked meat and return the meat to the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the bouillon and flour and stir until incorporated. (You may omit the flour if you prefer... it just thickens up the mixture more.) Add 3 cups of broth and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, but do not allow the mixture to get too dry.
Divide the meat mixture in the bottom of three disposable aluminum foil baking pans (or 6 small pans for smaller portions). On top of that, place a layer of mixed frozen vegetables (or you could use frozen corn, or any combination of chopped fresh vegetable). Finally spread a layer of mashed potato on top. I like to make my mashed potato the day before so there is not too much work to do the day of assembly.
To freeze: Cover your pans with aluminum foil and label them with the date and cooking instructions.
To bake: Thaw in the refrigerator the night before. Then bake at 350�F for one hour, or until the pie is fully heated through.
To bake from frozen: Place frozen pie in the oven at 350�F for 1 hour 30 minutes. Add additional time, if needed, to cook thoroughly.
You may sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if you wish. It's nice to place the pie under the broiler for one minute before serving, to make it golden brown.
Check out today's video in order to see the recipe being made. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar, or visit my YouTube channel.
Comment of the week
Lucia writes:
I am having some friends over to do "Investment Cooking" i.e.: making things for the freezer. I think we've found out menu! As always, thanks for sharing. I just love your posts.
Lucia
Hi Lucia, what a wonderful idea! Getting together with your friends to do an afternoon of cooking would make the process so much more fun. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy today's recipe. Come back on Friday for my overnight oats recipe. See you then!
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