Shepherd’s Pie is one of the all-time great comfort food main courses, beloved for its rustic heartiness and buffet of savory flavors. Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie turns both the rustic and the flavors all the way up for a meal like you’ve never made before: tender, juicy beef and vegetables form the filling with a beefy, thick, luscious gravy and plenty of fragrant herbs. On top is piled high creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes and sharp cheddar cheese melted right into it. If any dish was guaranteed to be made with love, it’s Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie: it just calls you right to the kitchen to share in the best of times.
Ingredients
For the meat and vegetables:
- 1 tablespoon oil, neutral-flavored
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
For the gravy:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons white flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup red wine (may substitute with beef broth)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
For the topping:
- 4 cups mashed potatoes, prepared
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet.
Step 3 –Brown the ground meat in the hot oil, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the garlic, the onions, the carrots, and the celery to the browned meat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the salt, the paprika, the pepper, and the flour over the meat mixture in the pan and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 6 –Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it smells roasted, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –Pour in the red wine and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet.
Step 8 –Stir in the broth, the peas, the parsley, the thyme, and the rosemary and simmer until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 9 –Pour the beef mixture into a 7×11-inch baking dish.
Step 10 –Allow the beef mixture to cool.
Step 11 –Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling, keeping the layers as separate as possible.
Step 12 –Use a fork to create crisscross patterns in the mashed potatoes.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the top of the potatoes with the cheese.
Step 14 –Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Step 15 –Serve hot.
