Recipes From Around The Globe: Cheryl’s Shepherds Pie

In our first year in Ireland, we hosted a team on almost a weekly basis. I was the caterer for some of the meals for each team. There were not a lot of options to cook like when we are at home, so I had to learn to cook culturally.

I had fallen in love with shepherd’s pie during a visit to a restaurant with our host family and friends. I knew it could feed an army, and it would be perfect to serve the teams. I spoke with a butcher and a friend, and both gave me the guidance and courage to give it a try.

It was a huge success, and even with a few westernized tweaks, our Irish friends enjoyed it. I’ve been making this comfort food for some time now, and many have enjoyed the feast and the memories that came with it.

Cheryl’s Shepherds Pie

This is either an army-size portion or for a bunch of individual servings that you can freeze.

Mashed potatoes:

• 5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup milk (add more or less to adjust to your desired consistency)
• 1 stick of butter
• 4 oz. of sour cream
• 4 oz. of cream cheese

Filling:

• 5 lbs. of lean ground beef
• 2 large white onions, diced
• 5 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 13 oz bag of frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 container of Bistro Gravy Granules (follow directions, add gradually and add to your desired taste)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Make your mashed potatoes any way you desire. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. (Do not refrigerate. They are okay at room temperature and are easier to work with in the final stage.)
2. Brown ground beef in a large pan. Remove ground beef from pan.
3. Leave the fat to sauté the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté veggies to your desired doneness.
4. Add the ground beef back to the pan and add herbs and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, make the gravy (follow instructions on container) to desired consistency.
6. Add the gravy in intervals to the pan until desired consistency. (I like a bit thicker gravy. It will thin out when baked).
7. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes then add frozen peas and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Remove from heat and transfer into an oven-safe dish that you will be serving from.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer the bottom of your casserole dish with beef mixture, top with mashed potatoes making uneven peaks.
10. Cut ½ of a stick of cold butter into small cubes and sprinkle over mashed potatoes.
11. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until mashed potatoes have turned golden brown, remove from oven and let cool.
12. Serve with brown bread and butter and maybe a side of roasted cabbage.