Week 97:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM THE STAFF AT HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS, KIM COURCHESNE
I chose this Shepherd’s Pie recipe in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Feel free to use beef or lamb with this one and add carrots, peas, and mushrooms if you desire. My family loves the simplistic beef, corn, and potatoes version. This serious comfort food is perfect for the cooler evenings as we head into Spring– a simply hearty meal that tastes great and warms the heart!
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 large (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 7- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 to 2 cups mixed types of corn (creamed corn and whole cornel)
- 1 1/2 pounds ground round beef
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper and/or other seasonings of choice
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 1 tablespoon of milk and enough milk to brush the top of the casserole
Instructions
- Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium-sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roast an entire clove of garlic. The peeled roasted garlic is added to the mashed potatoes.
- While the potatoes and garlic are cooking, melt 1-2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add ground beef to the pan with the onions. Cook until no longer pink. Drain the pan of excess fat, if necessary (anything more than 1 tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out (you can also add a roux of 1 tablespoon butter and one tablespoon flour to thicken).
- Taste the cooked filling and, if needed, add more salt, pepper, Worcestershire, or other seasonings of your choice.
- When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Mash with a potato masher or hand mixer, taste, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. At this time, add mashed roasted garlic to the potatoes.
- Spread the cooked filling in an even layer in a large baking dish (such as a 9 x 13-inch casserole.
- Put a layer of creamed corn and whole kernel corn between the ground beef and the mashed potatoes.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes. Also, brush the top of the casserole with milk.
- Place in a 400°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown.
Notes
Be careful when broiling using Pyrex or glass dishes, they have been known to shatter under the high heat of the broiler. It's not a worry if you are using a ceramic or metal casserole dish.