Recipe for Shepherds Pie With Minced Beef
I'm somewhat of a newbie to the whole freezer food thing, but with my first baby currently in my belly and ready to make his appearance in a couple months, I've been experimenting with it and starting to pay a lot more attention to planning out some frozen meals. In the past months I've been stocking a lot more frozen soups and things in the freezer, and wow, is it great to just pull something out to defrost and eat!
Shepherd's pie is a rustic dish originally from the UK, and it's the perfect type of comfort food to keep on hand in the freezer. While it's traditionally made with ground lamb, I'm not a big fan of lamb and always use beef instead (making this technically a cottage pie). Feel free to use whichever meat you'd like here.
This recipe has two main components to it, but both are very easy. The beef and vegetable layer on the bottom cooks very quickly (as with all ground meat dishes), and the mashed potatoes on top are likewise very simple to prepare. Plus, if you've got leftover mashed potatoes from another meal, it's even easier to put this together!
Let me show you how to make this cozy dish.
Start by browning a pound of ground beef in a skillet, until fully cooked. This should take about 5 minutes. Since the meat I'm using is 85/15 and has a fair amount of fat in it already, I didn't bother adding any oil to the pan.
In fact, I usually take a sheet of paper towel and blot out some of the excess before moving on.
Add chopped onion, chopped carrots, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until soft.
Next add peas and corn (I used frozen for both).
Let that cook for a couple minutes, then melt in two tablespoons of butter.
Add flour, garlic, and fresh thyme leaves to the pan, and stir.
Add a cup of beef stock to the pan, and turn the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Cook for a minute or two until the broth thickens into a light sauce. Transfer the beef and veggie mixture to an 8×8 baking dish, then get ready to make the mashed potato topping.
Cut two pounds of Yukon gold potatoes into large cubes, then cover with cold water and generously season the water with salt.
Bring the water to a boil, then cook for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and spread them out onto a sheet pan. I like doing this because the steam can escape better when the potatoes are spread out, preventing gummy potatoes, and also because it's easier to mash stuff on flat surfaces. Mash the potatoes well with a fork.
Now add the fun ingredients, like heavy cream, milk, and butter.
I also like to add grated sharp cheddar cheese, but you can leave the potatoes plain if you don't want cheesy mashed potatoes.
Portion the mashed potatoes over the beef and veggie mixture.
Spread the potatoes evenly until the beef and veggies are completely covered, then bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top.
Crispy and golden mashed potatoes, oh yes.
Let's not forget the beef and veggies, too. Such comfort food!
Go ahead and serve it if you plan to eat it right away. Otherwise, you can let the pan cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to two months. When ready to eat, reheat (still covered with the foil) for one hour in a 350ºF oven. If you thaw the pie in the fridge the night before, you can cut that time in half.
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Source: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a84156/freezer-friendly-shepherds-cottage-pie/
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