Shepherd’s pie

Shepherd’s Pie is a classic, hearty comfort dish 🥧🥔 that combines savory meat and vegetables with a mashed potato topping.

---

What It Is

• Traditional shepherd’s pie: Made with ground lamb
• Cottage pie: Made with ground beef (still often called shepherd’s pie)
• Topping: Creamy mashed potatoes, sometimes sprinkled with cheese

---

Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

For the filling:

• 1 lb ground lamb or beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp thyme (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

For the mashed potato topping:

• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• Salt & pepper

---

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make mashed potatoes:
   • Boil potatoes until tender. Mash with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cook filling:
   • In a skillet, cook ground meat until browned.
   • Add onions, carrots, and garlic; cook until softened.
   • Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper.
   • Add broth and simmer 5–10 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. Stir in peas at the end.
3. Assemble pie:
   • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
   • Spread meat and vegetable mixture in a baking dish.
   • Top evenly with mashed potatoes. Optional: sprinkle cheese on top.
4. Bake:
   • Bake 20–25 minutes until top is lightly golden and filling is bubbling.
5. Serve:
   • Let it cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

---

Tips

• For extra flavor, sauté onions and garlic in a bit of butter before adding meat.
• Leftover shepherd’s pie tastes even better the next day.
• You can pipe the mashed potatoes on top for a fancy look.

If you want, I can also give a quick 30-minute version that’s simpler but still creamy and delicious.

Do you want me to do that?