Easy Mid-Week Meals: Shepherds Pie Recipe
There is no denying our appetite changes as we move out of the warmer months, and if you are anything like me, you are beginning to crave sitting down to warm hearty meals at the end of the day. This Shepards Pie is the perfect winter warmer meal and best of all it doesn’t take a lot of time to put together.
This is a great family recipe too, and you can sneak in as many (or as few) vegetables as you like. It’s perfect served alongside some steamed beans and broccoli, or you could also serve it with some roasted pumpkin too.
To make this easy Shepherds Pie, you will need:
500g lamb mince
4 rashers of short cut bacon
1 brown onion
2 carrots – grated
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of sliced button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 x 400g can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
1 kg of baby washed potatoes
25g butter
1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan
1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese
2 tablespoons of milk
salt and pepper
Let’s put it together!
1. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees before heating the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add the bacon, garlic and brown onion and cook for a 3 – 4 minutes until the bacon begins to crisp.
2. Add the lamb mince, and break up mince using a wooden spoon to combine with other the ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often to break up any clumps of mince.
3. Once mince has started to brown, add carrots, stock, mixed herbs, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and allow to simmer for 5 minutes before reducing to a low heat and allow to cook for a further 30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes in half and cook in a steamer for 20 minutes – or until they have cooked through.
5. Mash the potatoes whilst they are still warm before adding milk, the parmesan cheese, butter, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove the mince mixture from heat, and transfer to a casserole dish before adding the frozen peas and sliced mushrooms and combining.
7. Spoon the mashed potato over the mince mixture and sprinkle the extra grated cheese over the top.
8. Place into oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.
9. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool in the casserole dish for 10 minutes before serving.
This recipe will serve a family of four with leftovers. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to one month.
Ingredients
- 500g lamb mince
- 4 rashers of short cut bacon
- 1 brown onion
- 2 carrots – grated
- 1/2 cup of frozen peas
- 1/2 cup of sliced button mushrooms
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 x 400g can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
- 1 kg of baby washed potatoes
- 25g butter
- 1/2 cup of finely shredded parmesan
- 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees before heating the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add the bacon, garlic and brown onion and cook for a 3 – 4 minutes until the bacon begins to crisp.
- 2. Add the lamb mince, and break up mince using a wooden spoon to combine with other the ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often to break up any clumps of mince.
- 3. Once mince has started to brown, add carrots, stock, mixed herbs, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and allow to simmer for 5 minutes before reducing to a low heat and allow to cook for a further 30 minutes.
- 4. In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes in half and cook in a steamer for 20 minutes – or until they have cooked through.
- 5. Mash the potatoes whilst they are still warm before adding milk, the parmesan cheese, butter, salt and pepper to taste.
- 6. Remove the mince mixture from heat, and transfer to a casserole dish before adding the frozen peas and sliced mushrooms and combining.
- 7. Spoon the mashed potato over the mince mixture and sprinkle the extra grated cheese over the top.
- 8. Place into oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.
- 9. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool in the casserole dish for 10 minutes before serving.
What is your favourite family meal?
Lauren Matheson
Lauren founded her website Create Bake Make as a way to justify the ridiculous amount of baking she loves to do. She has a super sweet tooth and enjoying a slice of cake (or two) is one of her guilty indulgences. As a Mum of two little boys, when she isn't creating fun activities for the kids or breaking up arguments over toy trucks and cars, you will find her in the kitchen baking up a storm - or hiding in the pantry with the latest cooking magazine and a hot cup of coffee!
