Food related: favorite shepherd's pie recipe?

[hesitantbride]

I can't for the life of me find a shepherd's pie recipe I love.  I've tried Alton Brown's, lots of the ones on the Food Network, and even a British recipe.  I've tried one with lamb, beef, and ground sirloin.  I've tried using fresh thyme and rosemary; beef broth; and Worcestershire sauce. 

I've got the mashed potato part down, but please help me find a meat mixture that is super tasty.  What do you love in shepherd's pie?

[Lilac]

Here's a guinness based recipe for the meat. We like it a lot. Sorry there aren't more precise details, but that's how we cook

3 lb ground beef
3 medium onions, chopped
3 cups frozen corn
12 oz stout (Guinness is good)
18 oz beef gravy (jar)

Brown beef and onion, drain.
Add beer and corn to meat mixture, simmer for a while.
Add gravy, simmer more.

Then do your normal thing with putting the mashed potatoes on top and bake.

[Here]

I have made this and think it was pretty good.

allrecipes.com/recipe/shepherds-pie-vi/

[orangeblossom]

I don't have the recipe with me, but I've used Cooking Light's chipotle sweet potato sheperds pie. Yum. I'll see if I can find it.

[Nonny]

We make ours with the shredded beef that's leftover from when we make a homemade veggie beef soup. It's just the beef (cut varies slightly depending on what my H decides is a good deal) that he pokes full of cloves of garlic, and then boils to make a stock. He shreds the beef by hand and some of it goes back into the soup and rest we use for shepherd's pie or enchiladas. For shepherd's pie we go simple, with just the beef, topped with tomato sauce and French cut green beans, then the mashed potatoes and tons of cheddar cheese on top.

[livinitup]

You've tried really hard to get a good recipe. Impressive.

I use my Irish mother's recipe. Its really good. Ground beef browned, drained of fat, then seasoned with 1 jar of beef gravy, Worcester Sauce, A1 Sauce, salt and pepper.

I make the shocking departure to her recipe by using a 1/2 bag of mixed veggies, instead of her traditional peas.

[livinitup]

ETA: We add onions to the ground beef, too.

[audette]

I use a stupidly simple recipe, as this is a quick meal in our house:
browned ground beef (sometimes with diced onions, too)
Add a jar/package of gravy (I suck at making gravy, so I usually use the packets for things like this)
Add some frozen veggies (usually mix of green beans, peas, carrots and corn)
Add some (don't laugh) parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, maybe salt and pepper if you want it (I just use dried herbs for this)
Toss into cooking dish and top with mashed potatos.
Bake

Exact quantities are all kinda "ished" so that they look right.

[smiley]

wow these recipes are nothing like what my mom did growing up...

It was biscuits on the bottom of the pan to form a crust
browned ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom soup
creamed corn
topped with mashed potatoes

I haven't had it in a long time because DH won't be 1) cream of mushroom and 2) creamed corn... I should look for a new recipe too!

[drloretta]

Believe it or not, I like Rachael Ray's version. I think the Worcestershire in the sauce makes a big difference

[livinitup]

I feel compelled to be specific with how my Irish mother puts it together (because she'd insist):

Round casserole dish
Bottom layer - Beef mixture
Then, layer of peas (or mixed veggie)
Finally, topped with mashed potatoes (then brushed with a little melted butter to make a nice crusted top.)

[livinitup]

Worcester = Worcestershire

[doctorsbaby]

I kind of just throw it together but I think this is roughly it.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 a small onion, chopped up pretty small
1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies (the kind without lima beans)
Mccormick Brown Gravy Mix - enough to make 2 cups
Worcestershire
Salt & Pepper
Mashed Potatoes

Brown ground beef with onion, salt & pepper, then drain. Add gravy mix and about 1 3/4 cup water to beef, a few dashes of the Worcestershire. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, Worcestershire to your taste. Add frozen veggies. Simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes, stirring often so the gravy doesn't stick to the bottom.

Pour into a greased casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes (sweet potatoes are great too!). Bake for about 20-30 minutes on 350.

[Deleted]

2 onions, chopped
2-3 celery ribs, diced
3-4 carrots, diced
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
1 can tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
Red wine
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Sautee veggies until soft. Add meat and brown thoroughly. Add tomato paste, brown thoroughly. Deglaze with red wine & Worcestershire. Add a lot of dried thyme, like 1 tablespoon. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook until thickened.

I make mine topped with mashed cauliflower and leave out the peas, then brown under the broiler.

[flatlan]

I know that it is not traditional but I have made this Mexican Shepard's Pie and it was really good.

Mexican Shepard's Pie

[basilosaurus]

Sauteed onions and garlic. Ground beef, chopped carrots. A bit of tomato paste. Half a can of guinness and what stock you have, simmered until thick. Thyme, cayenne. Peas.

Top with colcannon.

My ancestors have probably rolled over numerous times, but it gets raves.

[crispnclean]

Here is my favorite version (this is just the portion of the recipe for the meat)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
3 baby carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Crumble in ground beef, sprinkle with salt and saute 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to saute until meat is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon and italian seasoning.

In a small bowl, combine beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed.

I then stir in some frozen peas and carrots, top with mashed potatoes and some cheese and pop it in the oven. It's got a lot of flavor!

[orangeblossom]

I found the chipotle sheperd's pie recipe. I use ground turkey instead of the sirloin.

www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chipotle-sweet-potato-shepherds-pie-10000000334280/

[Deleted]

Jan 27, 2013 16:40:18 GMT -5 Here said:

I have made this and think it was pretty good.

allrecipes.com/recipe/shepherds-pie-vi/

I use this one too but instead of mashed carrots, I use 1 can of carrots, 1 can of corn and 1 can of peas (all drained). Soooo yummy!

[Here]

I make one wit ground beef, tomato soup, green beans, then topped with mashed potatoes with cheese and fried onions.

[Deleted]

I have never made shepherd's pie. I don't know why, I see recipes for it all the time.

It looks like I'll have to put it on the menu this week!