Savory Pies: Laurie's Shepherd's Pie

Feb 12, 2004 I made a couple changes, but this recipe turned out great. I omitted the pie crust, and just used a regular caserole dish. I also omitted the bell peppers, only used half of an onion, and seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, and garlic powder while the meat and onions were browning. I ended up using three large potatoes, which needed about four tablespoons of butter, and about a half a cup of milk (also added salt and pepper to the mashed potatoes). Next time I will probably use an extra half can of regular corn as well, and maybe a little more meat, just to make it a deeper caserole. Overall this was a definite hit that I will make often :) Scarlett

—SLANGWAY 

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Savory Pies: Shepherd's Pie V

Sep 12, 2008 This turned out to be one of the yummiest things I've ever made. Like other people, I didn't need 7 potatoes, I only used 5 medium potatoes. I left out the rosemary because I didn't have any. To the one cup of water I added just enough red cooking wine to turn the water pink, then added about 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. I didn't have any steak seasoning on hand, either, so I used about 1 tbsp Herb Chicken Seasoning and 2 tbsp parsley. Also, I used carrots and fresh sliced mushrooms instead of the mixed veggies - didn't have any of those on hand, either. I did use all the other ingredients as directed. Also, when I drained the fat from the beef, there was still a bit of grease left in the pan, so I put the mushrooms, onion flakes plus 1 tbsp minced garlic in the pan. I let them saute for a little bit, then put the beef back in the pan and added the rest of the ingredients. Boyfriend said the first time I made this that it was too salty for him (he avoids salt like the plague) so I've stopped putting in salt and have switched to sodium-free or low-salt bouillion cubes. I've stuck with the herb chicken seasoning, though. I also put shredded cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes, once everything was loaded into the casserole dish. I've made Shepherd's Pie before, but this one was by far the best one ever.

—Michelle 

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Savory Pies: Easy Shepherd's Pie with Garlic Romano Potatoes

Apr 24, 2011 I usually use a shepherd's pie recipe with cream of mushroom soup, but wanted to try something different. I don't think I'll ever go back, this is quite good. I did make a number of changes, as follows: - I cut the whole recipe in half and used an 8x8 casserole dish. - I used Italian turkey sausage instead of ground beef (as suggested by others). This gives it a great flavor. - I tried to get rid of some of the grease from the ground turkey before adding the tomato sauce and veggies. - I omitted the can of diced tomatoes (I'm a bit peculiar about where I like my tomatoes and shepherd's pie is not one of them). - Instead of the canned vegetables, I used fresh asparagus, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. I really enjoyed this combination. - I steamed the potatoes instead of boiling them (heard this keeps in more of the nutrients) - this increased the cooking time to 20 minutes. - I added some feta cheese to the potato mixture; I don't know if this had much effect on the final product. - I used the water from the boiled potatoes instead of milk (healthier). - I didn't broil it at the end (my broiler is frustrating - separate from the main oven - didn't seem worth it). Overall, I really enjoyed this. And it's a super easy recipe. Definitely a keeper!

—Salsera713 

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Recipe Makeover: Shepherd's Pie

We've got a new partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen; they'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us. Today, America's Test Kitchen shares smart ingredient substitutions for a St. Patrick's Day favorite, shepherd's pie.

Shepherd's pie, a meaty filling topped with rich mashed potatoes, can be pub grub at its very best. However, at more than 700 calories and 40 grams of fat per serving, it's decidedly not dainty fare. In our lightened up version, we wanted to retain the heartiness and rib-sticking qualities of this classic Irish dish while streamlining its numbers. Our shepherd's pie is cooked in and served straight from the skillet. An aromatic beef mixture is topped with creamy scallion mashed potatoes, which are piped evenly on top and scored with a fork before a brief finish under the broiler for perfectly golden-crispy ridges. Sláinte!

Why this recipe works: For a lower-fat shepherd's pie that was still ultra-rich and hearty, we used lean ground beef and handled it gently when cooking so we had big chunks of meat throughout. Tossing the meat with a bit of baking soda was key to keeping it tender and juicy in the finished dish.

See the recipe when you keep reading.

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Main Dish Casserole Recipes: American Shepherd's Pie

Oct 13, 2006 This seems to be one of those recipes where anything you want to throw into the pot is acceptable. As long as the end product tastes good, the endevour has been a success. Several of the reviews mentioned that the "pie" was bland. This was my clue to expermient. So I put in some things to give it a kick. First I added a can of cream corn (cause I really like corn) as several reviewers mentioned and I used mushroom soup instead of veggy soup, then three cloves of finely cut garlic. In the potatoes, I added milk and a LARGE tablespoon of creamy horseradish sauce (anything with the word horse in it should give it a "kick"). I added a dash or two of worchestershire sauce and a dash or three of garlic salt. I tossed in a can of white beans (this one gave it a real boost and I highly recommend concidering the beans as an additive). I also used more than the three cups of potatoes. I used three good sized russet potatoes. I have no idea what Colby longhorn cheese is, so I had some medium chedar that I used. The end product of this concoction was absolutely delicious! My wife, who is kinda pickey, had three helpings and I had four. Between the two of us we ate three quarters of the "pie" at one sitting!! This was really, really good and full of great flavors. Thank you Lisa for a great recipe idea.

—ROOKIE COOKIE 

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Savory Pies: Zippy Shepherd's Pie

Dec 06, 2008 My loving wife complained from the first moment she heard the word "curry" until she was finished the 3rd bowl. If i would have told her the original recipe had ketchup in it, she would have freaked out! she mentioned that the curry was making her thirsty and sleepy. i prevailed, though, and kept a cool head the entire time. by the end of the night we both had several bowls full of this delightful dish, even my cat was licking the bowl clean!! and guess what? the cat didnt complain one bit. :D i would definitely make this again, only next time i will not mention any of the ingredients. i will simply put the plate in front of her mouth and say, "EAT!"

—MrChicken 

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Savory Pies: Shepherd's Pie I

Jan 25, 2004 Talk about comfort food! Great winter time meal. My variations: add frozen peas and carrots atop the meat mixture before adding mashed potatoes. Also, add a couple tablespoons of sour cream to the instant potatoes to give a little more flavor. I also made this with shredded chicken breast, which was good, but not comparable to the beef. Another tip: I didn't use but about half of the tomatoes, but that is a matter of taste! Enjoy!

—Amber 

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Main Dish Casserole Recipes: Mom's Shepherd's Pie

Feb 18, 2009 Good base recipe. Made the first time exactly as recipe states. Wasn't too thrilled; the flavor was a bit too bland for my household's taste. Made again with the following changes and got a WOW from my bf: diced 1med onion and sweat in 2 tblsp olive oil. cook until translucent & add 2 tbsp minced garlic. cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 2lbs ground beef sirloin, parsley, salt and pepper and brown, drain excess. Add 15oz tomato sauce, 1 can peas, 1 can green beans, 1 can corn, mix together. Add flour and water mixture (2.5tblsp flour/4tblsp water), mix well. place into baking dish, top with colby jack or sharp cheddar cheese (I used about 1-2 cups) and then mashed taters (I did cheat and used boxed mashed potatoes that I doctored up with chives, garlic and onion powder) and cook for 20mins. take out and brush top with butter and milk and bake for 5 more minutes. Not sure if this can still be called shepherd's pie after my alterations, but we love it.

—Nita Abner 

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