Shepherd’s Pie

I love playing around with different foods to make shepherd’s pie. Traditionally the dish is made as a meat pie (or casserole) with a mashed potato crust (or top layer). I have made many different styles of this recipe using different meats, from chicken to beef, to chorizo and different tops, from mashed sweet potatoes to cheesy smashed potatoes. Shepherd’s pie is a super way to use up leftovers too! This is a recipe that I just made, let it inspire you to create a pie of your own (or make this one!).

Mashed potatoes:

1 lb. small red potatoes

3 T. butter

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper

Filling:

1 lb. ground lamb

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

1 1/4 cup beef broth

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. oregano

1 cup of frozen vegetables (such as peas or mixed veggies)

3-4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium-large sauce pan, drop your potatoes cut into halves or quarters, cover with water and boil until tender. Drain the water and add butter, milk and salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher and set to the side. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle in olive oil and cook the ground lamb until browned. Salt and pepper the meat and add Worcestershire (does anyone say this correctly?) sauce. Add butter and once it is melted, sprinkle flour over top and mix around in the pan. Pour in the beef broth and mix through out. Cook until it starts to bubble. Stir in the frozen veggies and oregano. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Place the dish into the oven and bake until the potatoes are golden. Before serving, cover the top with crumbled feta.