Shepherd's Pie Revisited
"Not your traditional version, but tasty nonetheless. Adapted from "Menu Makeover", Good Food Magazine, January 1987. Goes great with a nice glass of ale."
photo by Karen Elizabeth
- Ready In:
- 1hr 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 15
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 8 ounces hot Italian sausages, cut lengthwise in half, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 links)
- 1 (16 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes
- 1 1⁄2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- fresh ground pepper (to taste)
- 2 lbs potatoes, pared, cut into 1-inch cunks
- 3⁄4 cup milk
- 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
directions
- Place ground beef and sausages in 10-inch skillet. Cook, breaking up beef, over medium-high heat until meat loses some of its pink color and releases juices. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and vinegar. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas, basil, 1/2 t. salt, the oregano, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, boil potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to large mixer bowl. Beat in milk, cheese, butter, remaining 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste; continue to beat until smooth.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spoon meat mixture into 2-quart gratin or shallow casserole dish. Spoon potato mixture on top and spread evenly to edge. If desired, spoon some of the potato mixture into a pastry bag fitted with large star tip and pipe decorative border around edge.
- Bake until golden and bubbling, about 45-50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
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Reviews
-
This was definitely a change from my shepherds pie and the hubby liked this one a lot better. I used mild italian sausage since we dont do hot/spicy, petite diced tomatoes and dried basil. Liked the addition of mushrooms and peas also favorites for the hubby. The potatoes were very tasty with the parmesan cheese added and was a nice topping for the meat mixture. Great flavor thru the whole dish! Made and reviewed for Susie's World Tour 2019 - Fusion -
Very different, we certainly enjoyed this! I prepared the meat sauce in the morning, leaving it to develop flavour by the time we enjoyed it in the evening, good rich flavours! The only thing I had to omit were the mushrooms, didn't realise I didn't have any. So I finely chopped some carrots and celery, which I did have, and used those instead. I chose to use another recipe for the potato topping, although I think yours would be very good too, I had a lot of sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge, and so used Recipe #368274, which worked well. Another time, though, I'll stick to your original recipe! Thank you for this delicious casserole, Jackie! -
Might be a tasty casserole, but it sure as hell isn't shepherd's pie.
Tweaks
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Very different, we certainly enjoyed this! I prepared the meat sauce in the morning, leaving it to develop flavour by the time we enjoyed it in the evening, good rich flavours! The only thing I had to omit were the mushrooms, didn't realise I didn't have any. So I finely chopped some carrots and celery, which I did have, and used those instead. I chose to use another recipe for the potato topping, although I think yours would be very good too, I had a lot of sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge, and so used Recipe #368274, which worked well. Another time, though, I'll stick to your original recipe! Thank you for this delicious casserole, Jackie!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
JackieOhNo!
Stormville, New York
I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!
