How To Make Shepherds Pie the Easy Way

Cooking is something I love to do and have been doing since I was a young girl. I remember starting off being taught by my grandmother how to tend to a garden and how to cook food that grows with the seasons. Yet today they might say what is growing locally and in your area. I use to sit next to my grandmother in her lap snapping peas, and with my own mom as she taught me how to cut greens and make her famous homemade gravy.

I’ve become so attuned from being around food at and early age and seeing it grow out of the ground in front of my own eyes. Really gave me a respect for food and the value it holds. Because of that, I picked up on how to cook with my senses and from the heart. Which when you cook from the heart it becomes really some of the best cooking you will ever eat each and every single time.

With being able to cook from an early age I learned how to cook a lot quicker and make the same great food in a short amount of time and have it taste just as great. That is why I want to share with you this super simple easy shepherds pie recipe. Some people get turned off by making shepherds pie because they feel they have to do all those extra steps like cook the meat and peel the potatoes.

Now, you do have to cook the meat and peel the potatoes the only difference is that I only make shepherd’s pie when I make smashed potatoes the day the before.

That’s right I like smashed potatoes not the regular russet potatoes, they take way to long to peel and to big for me. I prefer the yellow golden taste of the Yukon gold potatoes.  So in order to make this dish, you need to plan it out the day before by making mashed potatoes the day before and making enough for two separate meals. One for the dish the first night and enough to top the shepherd’s pie the second night.

Once you have all that let’s get started. 😉

I only make shepherd’s pie in a cast iron skillet the meat cooks a lot quicker and I can just turn it into a one pot meal and transfer the whole dish to oven right afterward.

First, you need to add some chopped onion and olive in the skillet to saute down a bit. Next ground the meat (grass fed) preferred in the skillet. While the meat is browning you can add whatever meat seasonings you prefer, I like to use regular old of all seasons salt. Once the meat is cooked to your liking then add in some butter and a little bit of flour. Just enough to give it a little bit of texture and thicken it up a bit. I then pour in some beef broth a little extra salt and pepper and let it simmer down a bit just enough to thicken it up slightly a little more.

When it has simmered a bit I then add in the corn and peas for the shepherd’s pie. Just enough to warm it up. Then finish the dish with the smashed Yukon potatoes skin and all I made the day before.  I top the potatoes on top and load on the cheese. I like to use the organic Mexican shredded cheese package since it’s  loaded with different types of cheeses.

Pop that bad boy in the oven for about 10-15 minutes to heat up the toppings and melt the cheese.

Yummy.

You’re all done.

Ingredients: This dish I didn’t measure it but just eyeballed out.

1. cup 1/2 of peas depending on your family size
2. cup 1/2 of corn (family size again)
3. Beef broth
4. About 4 tablespoons of flour
5. Smashed potatoes ( Yukon gold)
6. Organic Valley Mexican Cheese
7. All seasoning mix (mix)
8. salt and pepper
9. butter

Steps:

• Make the smashed potatoes one day ahead time then store in the fridge.
• Cook down the onions with a dash of olive oil.
• Cook the meat with the seasoning until brown, add a dash of butter and the flour and thoroughly mix.
• Pour in some beef broth and then some salt and pepper, next add in the corn and peas.
• Top with the potatoes and cheese, then heat the pie in the oven for 10-15 minutes.