Alright, so I am obsessing over this Shepherd’s Pie. I mean it is seriously an all in one meal that is just : cozy. It screams “hello! do you need some comfort? I got your back!” hahah okay maybe it doesn’t talk… however the flavors sure do! I feel like Shepherd’s Pie and Meatloaf always get a bad name for themselves, and maybe that’s because both are not the most attractive foods– but you know what? So WHAT. They are freakin delish. So haters are gonna hate and we need to devour these foods no matter what they look like! This is truly The Best Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie and will also be great as a turkey alternative for Thanksgiving or Christmas if you all are having a smaller celebration this year!
Now I felt a lot of pressure when I first decided I was going to come up with my own Shepherd’s Pie recipe. Why? Well for one it is one of my favorite dishes and two… it is one of my dad’s all time favorites. Therefore, I was nervous! I mean rightfully so, so I worked away at perfecting the recipe. Held my breath as my dad took a bite… well needless to say it made it up on HGHF so we can predict the verdict 🙂 He was blown away, which was so sweet. He said this was one of his favorite things I have ever made. So another WIN for this recipe!
Then can you guess what happened next? I LOST THE RECIPE, I wrote down what I did for the recipe and then I could not find it FOR WEEKS! I was so devastated, because I was so excited to get it up on the blog and had no idea the exact measurements. Then I finally found it and you know what, I hadn’t been as descriptive in my notes. Had I done it RIGHT AFTER I wrote it I would have been fine, but now I am looking at it like “GY” what is that? ( later I found out it was Greek Yogurt) hahah. Anyways. It has been a process to get here, I perfected the recipe yet again and cannot wait to share now!
How to Make the PERFECT Garlic Mashed Potato Layer
This mashed potato layer is epic in The Best Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie recipe. It is lighted up with greek yogurt, garlic ghee and of course delicious fresh garlic. They are simple and oh so addicting. If you have never put fresh garlic in your mash potatoes you will forever now!
- Small Creamer Potatoes or russet, new potatoes etc.
- Greek Yogurt
- Garlic Ghee
- Garlic Cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
What other yummy HGHF recipes should you check out for the holidays?
Easy Sheet Pan Goat Cheese Pesto Chicken
Can you use a variety of different vegetables?
Yes! I love the classic peas, carrots and corn in this recipe– however feel free to mix up whatever variety you so please!
Is ground chicken the only meat you can use for this recipe?
You may use any ground meat you’d prefer! The cooking time maybe a tad different, but feel free to use whatever your heart desires 🙂
Regular potatoes are called for in this recipe, can you use sweet potatoes?
I have wanted to make this recipe with sweet potatoes! So if you do try it with sweet potatoes, please let me know how it is? I know that will be next on our list to do!
The recipe has dairy in both the potatoes and the gravy. Is there anyways to make it dairy free?
I am not familiar with the different DF half & half, butters etc. however, I don’t see why you couldn’t add in your favorite DF butter and yogurt to your potatoes! Same with the gravy. I use more chicken broth than half and half anyways, in order to lighten it up. So I feel the DF half and half would work nice!
The Best Homestyle Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
- 9.5 inch Pie Dish ( standard pie dish)
Ingredients
Garlic Potato Layer
- 1 lbs creamer potatoes ( any potato you prefer for mashed potatoes )
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp garlic ghee
- 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper to taste
Shepherd's Pie Filling
- 1 cup carrots ( about 3 )
- 1/2 diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken thigh
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
Shepherd's Pie Gravy
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 diced yellow onion
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 1/2- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp pepper to taste
Optional
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Grease your pie pan and set aside. Then preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large stock pot fill a little over 1/2 full with water and place your washed potatoes into the pot. Bring to a boil and continue to boil your potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork. You will work on the fill during that time, so it will be done prepping in 20-25 minutes!
- Dice your carrots, 1/2 yellow onion and mince your 3 cloves garlic. In a large skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil, the diced yellow onion and minced garlic. Saute for 5 minutes at medium heat, occasionally mixing.
- Add chopped carrots and continue to saute for 2 more minutes. Then add in the ground chicken and cook down, breaking apart for 3 minutes. Then add in worchester sauce, tomato paste and mix well.
- Then add in your ground mustard, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix throughly and cook 2 more minutes on medium heat. After, add in the frozen corn and peas. Cook for about 3 more minutes on low heat while you get your potatoes ready.
Garlic Mashed Potato Layer
- Drain your boiled potatoes. Then with a hand potato masher, mash your potatoes in the same pot. Then add in your garlic ghee and greek yogurt, and continue to mash. Then sprinkle in the salt and pepper continue to mash. Then take a large cooking spoon and mix the potatoes well, and mash anymore with the back of the large spoon.
Assembling the Shepherd's Pie
- Take a spoon and ladle your shepherd's pie filling into the pie dish. With the back of the spoon continue to push down mixture. It will all fit in perfectly. Use the back of the spoon to compact it. Then take a spatual and spread the garlic mashed potato layer on top. Sprinkle with optional sharp cheddar and place in oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
- I recommend placing a piece of alluminum foil on the bottom rack underneath your Shepherd's Pie just incase there were any leaks from the filling. Mine has never done that, but just to be sure!
While the Shepherd Pie Cooks.. Gravy Time!
- DO NOT WASH YOUR FILLING FRYING PAN. This is KEY to the gravy!! You want the leftover seasoning and tomtato paste/worchester sauce leftover in the pan to carry into our gravy. After I scoop the filling into the pie dish, and get it into the oven, you will do the gravy while it cook– to make sure dinner happens as soon as possible!
- In the same frying pan that you scoopped all your filling out of, add in butter. Turn heat on medium low heat. Then add in the diced yellow onion. Let it saute for about 3 minutes.
- Then turn up the heat to medium heat. Allow the onion and butter to cook one more minute, then add in the flour. Take a spatula and make sure your flour coats all of your butter onion mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes at medium heat, occasionally stirring. Then pour in the half and half. You can continue to use your spatula, but at this point I like to switch to a whisk. Whisk the half and half into your flour, onion and butter mixture to start o thicken.
- Gradually add in the chicken broth as you continue to whisk. Adding as much chicken broth until you reach the consistency you prefer. Then add in salt and pepper, whisk as well.
- Keep in mine the gravey will thicken when off heat. So until the Shepherd's Pie is done, I will keep it on low heat and the chicken broth near by if I need to thin again.
Time to Eat!
- Once the Shepherd's Pie is done in the oven, take out, cut a slice and top with your delicious gravy and enjoy!
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