It doesn’t get much better than a veggie-filled meat sauce covered with cheesy mashed potatoes
Growing up, we weren’t really a family of casserole eaters. Not until I got to college did I really start eating casseroles (namely, poppy-seed chicken casserole and cheesy chicken broccoli & rice casserole).
The second I had shepherd’s pie, I knew we would become good friends. You don’t get much better than a veggie-filled meat sauce covered with mashed potatoes.
Well, that is until you realize that it’s not a complicated dish to make. I also love making this because you can control the ingredients to nourish your body full of goodness. Think lots and lots of veggies for lots & lots of nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, plus lean ground beef for protein, vitamin B12 and iron, as well as potatoes for potassium, more fiber and to up the delicious factor.
I also add cheese to the potatoes because why wouldn’t I?! Cheese + potatoes is always a good idea.
To make this shepherd’s pie, you’ll need to boil potatoes while you sauté the veggies & cook the ground beef. Because I wrongly assumed that I had extra potatoes in my apartment, I used half parsnips and half potatoes for the topping in this casserole. So. Delish. I’m so glad I had them leftover from the Guinness Stew I made last week. They gave a new element of flavor that went really well in this dish. You could also use half cauliflower if you wanted to do that. Either way, you’ll need 1 pound of potatoes or combination of parsnips & potatoes or combination of cauliflower & potatoes.
My favorite tip for making this dish a breeze is to use an oven safe skillet or dutch/french oven (something that can hold at least 8 cups) for cooking your meat and veggies. Then you’ll just cover everything with the mashed potatoes and bake. No need to dirty a casserole dish.
Yay for less dirty dishes and effort. Even more yay when you get to dig into this tasty dish!
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1 1/4 cup diced onions (1 medium onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (about 2-3 stalks)
- 1 1/2 cups diced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
- 1 1/2 cups beef or chicken broth, divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pound potatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F.
- Add the ground beef, carrots, onions, and celery to an oven-proof skillet or dutch/french oven over medium-high heat. Sauté until beef is cooked through and veggies are soft. Drain or wipe out excess grease. Add in mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms have released their juices, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer until potatoes are soft. Once potatoes are cooked, drain & mash with milk and butter. Stir in cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Stir together remaining 1/2 cup cold broth with cornstarch until no lumps remain. Stir into meat mixture and simmer for about 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaves.
- Cover meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until bubbly. Carefully remove from oven. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*Be sure to leave the potatoes with the peel on to keep in nutrients and fiber. *You can substitute 1/2 pound of potatoes for 1/2 pound parsnips or cauliflower. Prepare as directed.
Meme
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