Shepherd's Pie

  • 4
  • 15 mins
  • 40 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
  • 1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup beef stock or broth
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes.
Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl.
While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb.
Season meat with salt and pepper.
Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes.
If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat.
Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes.
Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Thicken gravy 1 minute.
Add gravy to meat and vegetables.
Stir in peas.
In another bowl; combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream.
Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

Preheat broiler to high.
Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture.
Spoon potatoes over meat evenly.
Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.