Comfort Food for Dinner: Shepherd’s Pie {Recipe}

Shepherd’s pie is not a dish I’ve ever eaten, surprisingly, much less ever cooked. Since it seemed like a dish I would like and one I confirmed my husband does enjoy, I decided to make shepherd’s pie for the first time when I was given the opportunity to try out a new type of potato – the Albert Bartlett Rooster Potato, new to the US and exclusive to Walmart’s produce department. These new potatoes have a nutty and buttery taste and are good for just about anything: baking, boiling, mashing, roasting, or frying.

The folks at Albert Bartlett provided us with a few recipe ideas including a Shepherd’s Pie recipe, which was the base for the recipe I made. I made a few changes – mainly I omitted the use of sweet potatoes and only used the Albert Bartlett Rooster Potato. As I made my Shepherd’s Pie, I realized that this dish would be great for using up leftover mashed potatoes or pre-cooked ground beef, like my Puerto Rican Carne Molida, which would add a lot of great taste to the shepherd’s pie! Check out how to make shepherd’s pie using the new Albert Bartlett Rooster Potato with the simple shepherd’s pie recipe below!

Simple Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

*Adapted from recipe provided by Albert Bartlett

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Albert Bartlett Rooster Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1.25 lbs ground turkey (or beef)
• 5 Tbsp milk
• garlic, about 2 cloves
• 3/4 can corn, drained
• 1-1.25 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• oregano, about 2 tsp

Directions

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for about 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. Season meat to your liking and cook on medium heat in a large pan until brown. (I lightly seasoned my turkey with adobo and black pepper, but you can use whichever seasonings you prefer.)
3. Drain potatoes and add to large bowl. Add milk and mash potatoes, seasoning with black pepper and salt to taste.
4. Drain any extra grease from meat. Add garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
5. Add corn, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano to meat. Stir well and bring mixture to boil in order to reduce the liquid and thicken the sauce.
6. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Pour meat into an oven-proof dish in an even layer.
8. Add your mashed potato mixture on top of meat, spreading as well in an even layer. Texture the top with a fork, if you like.
9. Place dish into a preheated 400° F oven for 20 minutes.

My first time making shepherd’s pie went pretty smoothly, but I definitely believe shepherd’s pie lends itself best for using leftover mashed potatoes and meat rather than making each from scratch. There’s a lot of pots and dishes involved, otherwise. I can see why shepherd’s pie is a beloved comfort food for many people and one that’s simple to make on any weeknight.

What is your preferred shepherd’s pie recipe? Do you add other vegetables or use a specific type of potato?

All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™