Royal Shepherd’s Pie

 

Photo from Rachael Ray Magazine

It’s a burger AND it’s mashed potatoes all in the same dinner! So sayeth Peter. He’s not wrong. This dinner is made in ONE skillet and it’s DELICIOUS. I cut down on the meat & potatoes and increased the vegetables from the original recipe. It was still quite filling.. With some planning, this is absolutely a weeknight dinner.

TIPS:

•  Prep your ingredients before you start. You’ll be less stressed and it will go faster.
• Substitutions are key
• No white wine/sherry? Use chicken stock
• Don’t have the right assortment of herbs? Throw in what you have or another spice you like
• No Gruyere? Use cheddar
• No sour cream? Use Greek yogurt

Royal Shepherd’s Pie
from Rachael Ray

3 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1 lb. ground sirloin
Pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ground caraway or whole caraway seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry
1 can (10.5oz) beef stock or chicken stock
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 large egg yolk
About 8 oz. shredded Gruyère or white cheddar
1/3 cup (a handful) fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

1. In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water and reduce heat a bit to keep the water at a gentle boil. Cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large castiron skillet over medium-high. Add the oil, one turn of the pan, then add 1 tbsp. butter. When the butter melts, add the ground meat; cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the onion, carrot, celery, Worcestershire, thyme, garlic, caraway, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and consommé and stir until thickened, about a minute. Reduce heat enough to maintain a simmer.

3. Turn on the broiler.

4. Drain the potatoes. Using a potato ricer or food mill, puree the potatoes back into the hot pot. Mix in the remaining 2 tbsp. butter, the sour cream, chives, and egg yolk; season.

5. Spread the potatoes over the meat and veggies in the skillet. Top with the cheese. Broil until the top is browned and the edges bubble, about 4 minutes. Top with the parsley. Serve the pie directly from the