Perfect Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie (or yes, cottage pie as this would technically be) is a bit of a special food to me. I have numerous memories surrounding the food for years, from my good friend Khai and her parties where a bunch of grown men would ravenously scarf the food, to nights following a shift at a retail store with friends at an Irish themed pub. This is a comfort food for me, and always brings back fond memories.
Crap, I’m becoming a recipe blogger…
This recipe is a mixture of the two things I loved about those experiences, and as such will be topped with both cheese and bacon. This is a rich meal and will fill you up, but you aren’t going to want to stop….
Ingredients - Meat Layer
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lbs. ground pork
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 cup mix frozen vegatables
Ingredients - Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes
1/4 cup cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
2 cups of cheese
Ingredients - Topping
2 cups of cheddar
1/2 lbs. of bacon
Instructions
Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the cream and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the cream, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling and bacon.
Slice bacon to about a quarter inch thick sliver, and add to a pan, place over low heat until cooked to tender, then remove from heat (5 minutes)
Place the canola oil into a 12-inch sauté pan and set over medium high heat.
Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and sauté just until they begin to take on color,. Add the garlic and stir to combine. (4 minutes)
Add the beef, pork, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, (3-4 Minutes)
Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Add the frozen vegetables to the meat mixture and spread evenly into a casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle cheese and bacon onto the top of the pie. Alternatively you can mix them with the potatoes for a blended layer
Place in the middle rack for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and cheese start to brown.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
