Shepherd’s Pie, a savory ground lamb casserole with cheddar garlic mashed potatoes
This classic casserole dish is made with rich filling of ground lamb, chopped vegetables and a thick tomato-based sauce all topped with a cheesy mashed potato crust and baked in the oven. It’s easy comfort food at its best. I added a chopped mushrooms to up the deep meaty flavor of the filling, as well as a teaspoon of marmite, which is a trick that punches up the umami (savory flavor) of the dish. If you don’t have marmite and don’t feel like buying it for this dish, try substituting 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in place. It won’t add as much depth to the filling but it will boost the umami flavor. Finally you can substitute ground lamb with ground beef or another ground meat of your choice or make it vegetarian by increasing the mushrooms to 2 pounds or using a meatless ground crumble.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, European
Keyword casserole, cottage pie, ground beef, ground lamb, main course, mashed potatoes, shepherd's pie
Prep Time 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time 50 minutesminutes
Rest Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Calories 428kcal
Author Irvin
Ingredients
Mashed Potato Topping
2poundsYukon Gold Potatoesor another yellow potato
6large cloves garlicpeeled
1cupgrated white cheddaror regular medium yellow cheddar
6tablespoonunsalted buttermelted
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonground pepper
1tablespoonchopped flat-leaf parsleyotherwise known as Italian parsley
1/2cupheavy cream
Filling
1 3/4poundsground lambsee note above
1tablespoonolive oil
3/4poundcremini mushroomsquartered
1medium yellow onionchopped
4large carrotschopped
4large cloves garlicchopped
1 1/2cupschicken or vegetable stock
2tablespoonstomato paste
2 1/2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1 1/2teaspoonMarmitesee headnote above
1teaspoonkosher salt
3/4teaspoonground pepper
1/2teaspoondried ground thyme
1cupcorn kernelsfresh, frozen or canned
1cupfrozen peas
Instructions
Make the mashed potato topping by peeling and chopping the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Add the potatoes and garlic to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes or until a fork inserted into a potato cube enters easily.
Drain the potatoes in a colander, and then return them to the still warm pot. This will help dry them out. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Add the melted butter and mix until incorporated. Add the cheese and repeat. Mix in the salt and pepper, then add the parsley and cream. Mix and adjust seasoning to taste. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Make the filling by placing the ground lamb in a large saute pan. Brown the meat, stirring frequently, until cooked fully, about 10 minutes on medium heat. Pour the meat and any pan juices into a heatproof bowl.
Do not wipe out the pan. Place the oil, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and garlic in the pan. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently until the onions start to look translucent and the mushrooms start to soften. Add back the cooked ground meat, along with any juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl back into the pan.
Pour in the chicken stock then add the tomato paste and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Add the marmite and the salt, pepper, ground thyme and corn. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, until the filling has thickened. Stir in the frozen peas to the hot filling.
Pour the entire filling into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish or an oval 3-quart capacity dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, then pipe the mashed potatoes over the filling in strips. Or spoon the mashed potatoes over the filling and then use the back of the spoon to indent and create ridges in the mashed potatoes. You want to create as much surface area as possible so the mashed potatoes can crisp.
Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills) and then place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling up around the edges and the top of the mashed potatoes are golden brown.