Anyone got a recipe for an amazing Shepherd's Pie?

Question

Need to impress mother-in-law who is amazing cook and a very traditional father-in-law...so any great recipes appreciated!

Answer 1

Brown some mince and onions, add chopped leeks and carrots, oxo cube and dash of tomato puree salt/pepper. Mash potatoes add some butter cover mince, sprinkle cheese on top. Cook for 35 mins. Serve with green veg, you cant go wrong!

Answer 2

SHEPHERD'S PIE

1 lb beef / lamb / veal and pork (mixed)
5 oz chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup stock / gravy / meat jelly
1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch
tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or
1 1/2 teaspoons wine vinegar
thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne
2 lb potatoes
1 cup milk (about)
3 oz butter
1 tablespoon grated dry cheddar
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Chop, process or mince the meat. Cook onion in the fat until soft. Add the meat and garlic, stirring well; then raise the heat so that the meat browns.
Turn it over in large sections with a spatula, so that it browns all over. Pour off any surplus fat.

Add some of the liquid and bubble gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle on flour or cornstarch, stir again and add the remaining liquid.

Let it bubble to a rich sauce, adding the various flavorings to taste.

Meanwhile scrub, boil and peel the potatoes.

Set aside a couple and slice them thinly. Mash the rest with the milk and butter, seasoning to taste. Put the meat into a shallow dish.

Spread the mashed potato on top and, with the slices, make a ring around the edge. Scatter the cheese over, and brown under the broiler at a moderate heat, or at the top of a hot oven.

Answer 3

Shepherd's Pie with Cheese-crusted Leeks

This recipe can be made with either fresh minced lamb (shepherd's pie), fresh minced beef (cottage pie) or minced leftover beef or lamb from a cooked joint (in which case, cut the initial cooking time to 15 minutes). In the following recipe we're using fresh minced lamb, and what puts this dish in the five-star category is the delicious crust of cheese and leeks.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) minced British lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 oz (75 g) carrot, peeled and chopped very small
3 oz (75 g) swede, peeled and chopped very small
½ level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 level tablespoon plain flour
10 fl oz (275 ml) fresh lamb stock
1 level tablespoon tomato purée
salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the topping:
2 oz (50 g) mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
2 medium leeks, cleaned and cut into ½ inch (1cm) slices
2 lb (900 g) Desirée or King Edward potatoes
2 oz (50 g) butter
salt and freshly milled black pepper

You will also need a large lidded frying pan or saucepan, and a 7½ inch (19 cm) square baking dish, 2 inches (5 cm) deep, well buttered.

Begin by taking the frying pan or saucepan and, over a medium flame, gently heat the olive oil. Now fry the onions in the hot oil until they are tinged brown at the edges – about 5 minutes. Add the chopped carrot and swede and cook for 5 minutes or so, then remove the vegetables and put them to one side. Now turn the heat up and brown the meat in batches, tossing it around to get it all nicely browned. You may find a wooden fork helpful here, as it helps to break up the mince. After that, give the meat a good seasoning of salt and pepper, then add the cooked vegetables, cinnamon, thyme and parsley. Next, stir in the flour, which will soak up the juice, then gradually add the stock to the meat mixture until it is all incorporated. Finally, stir in the tomato purée. Now turn the heat right down, put the lid on the pan and let it cook gently for about 30 minutes.

While the meat is cooking you can make the topping. Peel the potatoes, cut them into even-sized pieces and place in a steamer fitted over a large pan of boiling water, sprinkle with some salt, put a lid on and steam until they're completely tender – about 25 minutes. While this is happening, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

When the potatoes are done, drain off the water, return them to the saucepan, cover with a clean tea cloth to absorb the steam and leave them for about 5 minutes. Next, add the butter and mash them to a purée – the best way to do this is with an electric hand whisk. Don't be tempted to add any milk here, because the mashed potato on top of the pie needs to be firm. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. When the meat is ready, spoon it into the baking dish and level it out with the back of the spoon. After that, spread the mashed potato evenly all over. Now sprinkle the leeks on top of the potato, scatter the cheese over the leeks and bake the whole thing on a high shelf of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the top is crusty and golden.

Answer 4

Well, there are a lot of good answers there. Any of them would be good. My shepherd's pie is a little more basic than some. The big thing with shepherd's pie is to use real potatoes on top.

First, prepare your mashed potatoes. Next, brown a pound and a half or so of ground beef with half a chopped onion, half a cup of chopped celery, two cloves of minced garlic, half a green pepper chopped, and salt and pepper to taste. Drain the grease and put into a casserole dish. Add to it a can of cut green beans, a small can of diced tomatoes, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all up and put the Mashed potatoes in a layer on top. Put in a 350 oven until it is all bubbly and cooked through. (About 30 minutes). Then put some grated cheese of your choosing on top (not a lot, just a sprinkling) and put back into oven to melt. Kind of a decorative touch. Enjoy

Answer 5

I find that typing "recipes" (note the plural) into Google will bring up a link to Google Recipes - a fantastic resource. See source below.
I found this link which may help you here -
http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/3284/shepherds-pie.html
But there are loads of others if you type "shepherds pie" into the search box on the Recipes page and then click "Search Recipes".
So next time you want to impress your M in L you might find this route useful.
Can I suggest that you serve the meal with some grated cheddar available in a side dish, that you sprinkle something like mild red pepper on the top of the potato topping (depending upon your personal tastes), that you also serve it with roast whole baby carrots and petit pois (small garden peas).
And also a bottle of something red - like Cabernet Shiraz or Cotes du Rhone - or if you prefer a lighter wine, Beaujolais or Gamay.
Hope you enjoy your meal.

Answer 6

brown mince, add onions, add baked beans and stir together. Whilst your making your sauce boil some peeled potatoes, then once cooked, mash and add cheese in with it. Add sauce to baking dish and then cover it with the cheesy mash using a fork, and then put small blobs of margarine or butter on top of the mash to help brown the mash and put under a ready heated grill.... serve with runner beans or whatever veg you want - its a really tasty version of shepherds pie, I insist it being made like this because it has so much more flavour than the traditional recipe!

Answer 7

Use 1/2 water & 1/2 stout, or you could risk it being strong & bitter. If it seems a bit 'off' in flavor, add a little garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and a pinch of sugar to quell any bitterness. Yes, minced beef (or hamburger as it's known here) is fine. Beef is beef, and when we make Shepard's pie, normally we do so with that, as it's less expensive than other cuts of meat.

Answer 8

You must always use cold meat off a cooked joint of lamb or beef. Mince the meat, mince onions, place in an ovenproof dish, season with salt and black pepper, add gravy ( which has been made with the dripping from the roast meat tin ), top with mashed potato, rough the top with a fork and top with a knob of butter. Cook in a hot oven until golden brown. This is fabulous and you'll have your father-in-law begging for seconds !

Answer 9

cook ground beef till brown then drain oil add small bag 10oz of mixed vegetables peas corn lima beans carrots green beans etc. then mix together and heat through add beef gravy 10oz can and alittle heinz chili sauce, not alot just gives it a kick. dice a onion and add that as well cook through while u have that heating up on the other half of the stove have diced potatoes coming to a boil and ready to mash when the meat mixture is done put to side and mash potatoes try to use two small russet potatoes per person mash them with garlic sour cream and cheddar cheese mash till good and creamy then in little white bowls one per person fill the bowls with the meat mixture and add the potatoes to the top and after that sprinkle alittle paprika on top of the potatoes put them on a tray in the oven along side them cook some grands biscuits by pilsbury or store brand cook for 12-15 mins on 350-400 and when biscuits are done the meal is too so u'll have a crunchy potato layer and soft inside with a meat mixture under neath great to dip biscuits in

Answer 10

Mince
Onion
1 tsp Sugar
Shephard's pie powder (from any grocery store).
Corn
Peas
Potatoes
Cheese
Butter

Fry mince and onions and a teaspoon of sugar.
Add corn and peas and mix with pie powder and a bit of water.
Mash potatoes with butter and add some cheese to put on top.

Place meat in deap dish and you can either just spread the potato on top or use a cookie press to put the mash on top.(Looks very presentable)
Bake for an hour on low heat.

And voila!!! Shephard's Pie in a flash.