Description
A spin on shepherd’s pie with a mixture of sweet and regular potatoes, and a juicy white wine and rosemary filling.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
FILLING:
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground meat (i.e. ground beef, lamb, or turkey, or a plant-based ground meat alternative)
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2–3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Kosher salt and pepper
TOPPING:
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 4 Tbs. unsalted butter (or plant-based butter alternative)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425˚F and position the upper rack in the middle of the oven.
- Chop all of your vegetables before proceeding (garlic, rosemary, onions, carrots, and potatoes) – this will make the rest of the recipe go more smoothly!
- To make the topping, rinse your cubed russet and sweet potatoes to remove excess starch. Place the rinsed, cubed potatoes into a pot, fill with cold water to cover, and add 2 tsp. Kosher salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil (you may proceed with making the filling while you wait). Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes. When a fork inserted into a piece of potato meets no resistance, remove from heat, drain, and rinse again. Mash with 4 Tbs. unsalted butter until smooth. Add more salt to taste if desired and set aside.
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed skillet, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil. When hot, add your ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Break up the meat and allow to brown.
- When the meat has browned, add the chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, and 1 tsp. nutmeg. Saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and chopped carrot and cook until softened, about 7-10 minutes.
- Pour 1/2 cup white wine into the pot and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the liquid has mostly evaporated, add the 1/2 cup frozen peas and cook until defrosted.
- Pour the filling into the bottom of a ~9×9 casserole or baking dish and even out with a spatula. Cover with the mashed potato mixture, smooth out, and then drag a fork through the surface to create texture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered, or until the top is set and the mixture is bubbling. Then, place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until browned on top, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS
- This dish can be easily made vegan by using a plant-based ground meat alternative in the filling and plant-based butter in the mash.
- Feel free to add celery along with the carrots and onions.
MAKE AHEAD / PREP TIPS
- Mise en place is key here! At least 30% of the time it takes to make this dish is spent chopping your carrots, onions, rosemary, and garlic, so do it all at once at the beginning, or do it ahead of time. Store the onions and carrots together in one container and the rosemary and garlic together in a separate small container for up to 2-3 days. Store cubed potatoes in a sealed container of water in the fridge overnight.
- You can make the mashed topping ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 1-2 days. Let it cool before refrigerating, and bring it back up to room temperature before spreading it on top your filling (you can add some milk or plant mylk to loosen it if it stiffens in the fridge).
- To make the whole dish ahead of time, assemble the layers and refrigerate the dish for up to a few days before baking. When ready to bake, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before putting it in the oven uncovered.
Keywords: meat, shepherds pie, pie, casserole, beef, potato, winter, fall