Today I'm going to share a really simple recipe that I make often at home. It's one that my mom made regularly when I was a kid but I've since tweaked the recipe quite a bit over the years. Her version was typically made with ground beef, corn and mashed white potatoes, whereas I substituted peas for the corn and added sweet potatoes to the regular in order to give it more flavor and nutrients. I once used rutabaga with the potatoes as well and that was also very good.
She used to call this recipe "Sheppard's Pie," so that is what I've come to know it as, though I've since learned that Sheppard's Pie in a lot of cultures is traditionally more of a meat filling in a standard pastry pie crust. As such, this might be better referred to as a beef and potato casserole.
Regardless of the name though, this is a comforting meal and an easy dish to make so that is why I'm sharing it with you today.
This dish can also be made in advance and frozen or stored in the fridge to be heated up the next day or in the evening, or it can be made all at once.
Let's get started.
• 500g (1lb) Ground Beef
• 2-4 Potatoes of any variety. The size of potatoes will determine how many you need.
• 1 Large Sweet Potato
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Large carrot
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Tsp Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbsp Flour
• 1 Beef Bullion Cube
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Red Wine - cheap stuff for cooking and better stuff to drink while doing so. I'm drinking a full bodied Malbec from the Cahors region of France.
For the mashed potatoes I use the ingredients below but if you have your own method for mashed potatoes then feel free to do that:
• Cream
• 1 Tsp Butter
• Parmigiano Cheese
• Salt
• Peas (approximately 1-2 cups or enough to create a distinct layer in the casserole dish)
I use peas for my second layer but you could use corn if you prefer. I've grown a distaste for corn over the years. It seems to have gotten sweeter in time and now it's to the point of being too sickly for me, like there is added sugar in it or something. The sweet potatoes add enough sweetness to the dish also, so peas are preferable in my opinion.
Preheat the oven to around 240°C - a relatively medium to high heat. I also like to preheat the Pyrex casserole dish a little so that the temperature of the oven doesn't drop from putting in a cold pan.
Mind you, I just warm the dish by putting it in the oven about 5 minutes before I assemble the meat and potatoes.
Start by browning the beef.
While the beef is cooking cut your potatoes and boil them in water.
Do the same with the sweet potatoes.
I actually steam them above the regular potatoes to avoid washing out all of their nutrients. They also cook a bit faster so I generally remove them as soon as they are soft and fully cooked.
Chop the carrots and onions into pea sized portions.
Once the beef is browned, add in the vegetables along with a tsp of tomato paste, a few splashes of red wine, cracked pepper corns, salt and a cube of beef bullion.
When the vegetables are soft and fully cooked add a tbsp of flour to the beef. The flour helps bind everything together after it is cooked so that it can be cut without the meat layer spilling all over the place. I try to combine the wine, spices and flour in such a way that it makes a gravy with the meat. Use your judgment here but you need some moisture left in before everything goes into the oven, otherwise it will end up being very dry.
Once the potatoes are cooked combine them together and make mashed potatoes with cream, butter and salt. Use your judgment to get the consistency that you prefer.
Add the beef to the Pyrex casserole dish.
Add peas to create a distinct layer.
Side view of the layers.
Add your mashed potatoes to the dish to form the third layer. I like to spread the potatoes evenly across the other layers but I don't like the top to be smooth. I use a spoon to create peaks so that parts will cook more than others and create crunchy bits that add more flavor and texture.
Grate some Parmigiano cheese on top for additional flavor. This also helps create a sort of crust on the surface of the potatoes which adds even more texture to the dish.
It should look something like this in the end.
The layers shifted a bit but that's okay.
Cook everything uncovered for approximately 30-40 minutes.
Check on it though throughout the cooking process to make sure that the top isn't burning and adjust your oven down if it starts to get too dark. Keep in mind that everything is actually already cooked, so really you're just melting the cheese on top and making sure that everything is served warm.
The sugars in the sweet potatoes along with the cheese creates a glossy caramelized crust on top. If it cracks or crunches a little when you cut it, that is a really good sign.
Serve and enjoy!
