This Shepherd’s Pie recipe is a delightful twist on the classic dish. With savory meatballs, creamy mashed potatoes, and rich onion gravy, it’s comfort food at its best. The best part? It’s not as complicated as it sounds!
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (or ground turkey as a substitute)
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- Approximately 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Around 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- About 1/2 cup fat-skimmed beef broth
For the brown onion gravy:
- Brown onion gravy (recipe follows)
- Approximately 1/2 cup dry sherry, dry white wine, or additional fat-skimmed beef broth
For the mashed potatoes:
- Approximately 6 cups peeled hot cooked potatoes (cooked by boiling, baking, or microwaving)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
- Around ½ cup cream cheese (at room temperature)
- Approximately ½ cup shredded Gruyère, Swiss, or Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 oz.)
Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef (or ground turkey as a substitute), finely chopped parsley, Dijon mustard, all-purpose flour, large egg, approximately 1/2 teaspoon of salt, around 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and about 1/2 cup of fat-skimmed beef broth. Mix well using a fork until thoroughly blended.
- In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan over high heat, bring the brown onion gravy to a boil. Add the dry sherry, dry white wine, or more fat-skimmed beef broth and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Quickly shape the beef mixture into 1-inch balls and gently place them into the simmering gravy. Cover the pan and simmer until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center (you can cut one to check), which should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs (along with some of the onions) to a separate bowl.
- While the gravy is still in the pan, bring it to a boil over high heat while stirring frequently, until it reduces to about 2 cups, which typically takes 10 to 15 minutes. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Remove it from the heat and return the meatballs along with any accumulated juices to the gravy, mixing them gently.
- Simultaneously, in a large bowl, mash the cooked potatoes with 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter and the room-temperature cream cheese until you achieve a smooth consistency. If needed, add just enough beef broth to moisten the potatoes until they can be easily squeezed through a pastry bag. Stir in the Gruyère cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Butter a shallow casserole dish that’s 3 1/2 to 4 quarts in size. Evenly spread two-thirds of the mashed potato mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Spoon the meatball-gravy mixture into the center. Then, decoratively spoon or pipe the remaining mashed potato mixture around the edge of the meatball mixture.
- Bake the pie in a preheated oven set to 400°F (200°C) until the gravy is bubbling and the potatoes are beautifully browned. This typically takes around 30 to 35 minutes.
- For the brown onion gravy: Begin by peeling and finely chopping two 8 oz. onions. In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter until they turn richly browned, which should take about 13 to 15 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and continue stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Then, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir until it’s browned, roughly 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3 cups of fat-skimmed beef broth. Return it to high heat and continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
- Calories: 758
- Protein: 34g
- Fat: 43g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 4.6g
Please note that these nutritional facts are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
Cooking Tips:
- You have options for preparing the potatoes – boil, bake, or microwave them. Even better, if you have leftover cooked potatoes, simply reheat them until steaming and use them for the recipe.
- Tight on time? You can prepare the brown onion gravy and assemble the pie up to step 5 a day in advance. Just cover it and chill. When you’re ready to continue, uncover and bake.