Shepherd’s Pies

A little cheese finishes this favorite dinner in fine style. Updated on February 26, 2024 Shepherd’s pie is a much-loved comfort food, both in England, where it originated, and stateside. Sitting down to a generous helping of the robust entree with its ground beef filling complemented by carrots, onions, celery, and a fluffy mashed potato topping is a satisfying meal. This version adds sharp cheddar to the potato topping, taking the flavor to the next level. It might surprise you that we use baking potatoes like russets for the topping—they are for baking not boiling. But this mash is baked on top of the meat filling, and the starchiness of the baking potatoes, enriched with milk and butter and topped with cheddar, is just right. Ingredients 2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4), peeled and thinly sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced 1 large onion, chopped ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup tomato paste 2 pounds ground beef chuck 1 cup whole milk 1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar (6 ounces) Directions Preheat oven and boil potatoes: Preheat oven to 450°F. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Cook vegetables: Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste: Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef: Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set beef filling aside. Drain and mash potatoes: Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper. Assemble pie: Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake: Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Make Ahead Both the filling and topping can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble the pie just before cooking. 5 More Potato-Topped Pie Recipes to Try: Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Cottage Pie Potato-Mushroom Pie Champvallon Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2008

Shepherd’s Pies