Shepherd's Pie

This is probably my most-favorite-est meal to make. It's easy enough to do, it's almost always good, and it's quite variable and easy to experiment with. Tonight was probably the 20th or so time I've made this, and every time I add something new in. I was kind of looking back at my Shep's Pie history, and it really has developed quite a bit. First, it was just onions, meat, potatoes, and cheese. Then I added some tomatoes to the sauce. Then I added peas and carrots. Then I thought why not, and added broccoli. Sometimes corn makes it in there, too. I went to an Irish pub/restaurant and got the Shep's Pie, and theirs had no cheese, which really disappointed me. But, they spiced the meat with cinnamon or nutmeg or something like that, and it made a really interesting taste. This really changed the way I cooked meat. Now I think of a meat sauce type meal as needing some sweetness. Especially with the potatoes and the cheese, the sweet spices really make a very tasty change to the dish!

Feeds 6 or 7, or feeds 4 with lots of leftovers! Total meal cost: $20-25 (I used pretty high quality ingredients this time, so it might have been more like $30. Usually it's cheaper though).


I make a Shepherd’s Pie with more veggies than the traditional recipe. This way, I don’t need to have a salad or anything on the side for the more health-minded eaters (my parents). The key is balancing the veggie to meat ratio. This should be a meat-centered dish, so there should be more meat than veggies overall, but not too much more meat. I’d say a 1.3972 to 1 ratio of meat to veggie, to be exact. None of the veggies are essential, though, so if you don't like broccoli or something it's fine to take those out of the recipe.

First, start boiling the water for the potatoes, fill a big-ish pot halfway full with water, add a little salt and a little canola oil. Start the meat sauce.
Once the water boils, add 4 big russet potatoes, and boil with the pot covered until potatoes are soft enough to mash. Pour out the water, then make the mashed taters with
 3-4 tbsp. butter
 Splash of milk until it’s the right consistency (it will thicken up, but only slightly)
 3 cloves garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic powder.


Meanwhile (after starting the water), make the meat mix as follows, in this order:
Start by cooking 2 pieces of bacon in the pan, and cook the rest in ¼ of the oil left over.
 1 onion and 4 cloves garlic. How I Do Onions.
Spice with: chili, onion, and garlic powders, parsley, Italian herb mix, salt. I caramelized and added wine to the onions. Let this brown (and purple) for 5 or so minutes before adding…
 1 big or 2 small heads of broccoli, chopped really small. Cook for ~1 minute, then…
 1 large or 2 small carrots, also chopped small. Cook for ~5 minutes, then…
 2 lb. ground beef. I used farmers market awesome beef, but you can use whatever you want.
 Add a pinch or two of cinnamon and/or nutmeg to the meat. Just use a little, it’s easy to overpower the taste with these spices. It’s easy to add more later, once it’s cooked enough to taste-test. Cook all this together until the meat is brown. Add…
 ½ cup peas, or however many you would like in there.
 1 can whole corn (not creamed… ew)
 1-2 tsp. garlic chili sauce if you want it to be spicy
When you can’t see ANY red meat anymore, it’s okay to taste-test. You can now add whatever spices you think it needs. I usually add more salt, garlic powder, and cinnamon/nutmeg at this point. This is also when you should put in pepper (pepper should be added at the end of any meal, so it keeps its flavor).

NOTE: this meal can also be made with tofu instead of beef. Get extra firm tofu and crumble it, then cook it in hot hot oil til it gets brown, then drain it and put it in the "meat mix" 

Hopefully you finish the meat and mashed potatoes at the same time. It’s not a big deal if you don’t but it’s always kind of nice when that works out.
In a large rectangular Pyrex dish, toss in the meat/sauce/thing, pat it down so it’s even, then plop the mashed taters on top. Spread them out so they’re even. Then add cheese.
I used ~1 cup grated sharp cheddar and ~1 cup “firehouse” cheddar from farmer’s market. Basically, I like there to be enough cheese to completely cover the top of the dish pretty thickly, but I like A LOT of cheese in everything I do, so how much is really up to you.
Throw all this on the top rack of the oven on low broil. Keep an eye on it and when the cheese is slightly brown and crispy, it’s done!