Easy Ground Beef Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does shepherd's pie have gravy in it? ›

This Easy Shepherd's Pie recipe is made with ground beef, brown gravy, and frozen vegetables in less than 30 minutes on the stove top. Broil in the oven for just 5 minutes and dinner is served! Make it with my homemade mashed potato recipe, or use up leftover mashed potatoes!

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

And, by doing so, the humble shepherd's pie was born. Originally, the dish contained a pastry shell at the bottom, top, or both. Over time, this morphed into potato slices at the bottom and top of savory minced lamb meat, until it eventually became a topping of mashed potatoes.

In a matter of minutes, you can whip up white gravy in a saucepan for the perfect creamy, savory topping for your favorite dishes. This basic sauce is prepared with ingredients you likely already have on hand: butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. For a bit of heat, a pinch of cayenne can be added as well.

It's traditionally made with minced meat (usually ground lamb), gravy, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. You may also hear it called "cottage pie." The two terms are used interchangeably, but technically traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and traditional cottage pie is made with ground beef.

Flour: Used to thicken the filling, creating a sauce to coat the ingredients. Stock: Beef stock or broth enhances the meaty taste of the filling.

shepard's pie

Flour: A little flour is used to thicken up the sauce so it's thick and creamy. Red Wine: Is used to deglaze the pan to remove the brown bits “fond” off of the bottom of the pan. That is where all the flavor is! Tomato Paste: Gives the sauce a deepened tomato flavor.

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

Residual moisture from the potatoes will drip into the beef below as it cooks, and too much of it will cause the potatoes to eventually sink. Aside from ridding your potatoes of excess moisture before you mash them, it also helps to cool the beef down, BBC Good Food shares.

What to eat with shepherds pie? ›

A large oven proof Le Creuset, metal handled frying pan or enamel coated cast iron pan works well. Or you can cook your meat in a frying pan and then transfer it to a ceramic or glass lasagna dish to bake. Alternatively you can make individual pies in ramekins or small ovenproof dishes.

"Shepherd's Pie is one the most traditional Irish dishes I know of," she said. Culhane said the meal became popular in Ireland for a simple reason: It's easy to make, it makes a lot and it's cheap. Although there are many variations, most Shepherd's Pies are made with ground meat, potatoes, carrots, peas and onions.

The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.

This ultimate comfort food can be quite unhealthy, with lots of butter in the mash and pushing up your saturated fat intake. Here are a few ideas to make this classic a little healthier and just as tasty.

Why is my shepherd's pie runny? Generally, this is caused by using too much stock. If you follow this recipe's measurements you'll have the right amount but don't forget to reduce the meat filling long enough so it's not runny.

At the most basic level, gravy is a simple pan sauce that requires liquid and a thickener. Traditional turkey gravy usually has fat, flour, and stock. You can make excellent turkey gravy with just those ingredients, plus salt and pepper for seasoning.

Cream gravy or white gravy (sawmill gravy) is a bechamel sauce made using fats from meat—such as sausage or bacon—or meat drippings from roasting or frying meats.

The usual meats are beef or lamb. The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.