Ground beef and mashed potatoes make shepherd's pie a hearty fall dinner.TODD BENNETT/STAFF

Traditional shepherd's pie makes a hearty, English-style meal

Web posted November 11, 1998

By Karen Calloway
Special Columnist

My father has frequently traveled to England on business. Although England isn't known as a culinary mecca, he enjoyed the food, and shepherd's pie became one of his favorite meals. It was on the menu of practically every pub he visited.

Once back in the States, my mother re-created this dish for him and found it to be a quick and easy dinner. The combination of ground beef, gravy and green peas, topped with mashed potatoes and some grated cheese, is now a family favorite at their house.

The traditional English version of shepherd's pie uses gravy to flavor the meat, which is often ground mutton or lamb. Most American recipes for shepherd's pie use ground beef and are often flavored with a tomato sauce.

Feel free to substitute a can of condensed tomato soup or tomato sauce if you don't have a jar of gravy on your pantry shelf.

This recipe makes good use of leftover mashed potatoes, but you can also use instant. Or, try one of the new mashed potato products

Karin Calloway is a corporate chef and free-lance writer. You can write her in care of The Augusta Chronicle, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30913. Or send her an e-mail to karingca@aol.com. MICHAEL HOLAHAN/STAFF

at the supermarket, such as Simply Potatoes in the refrigerated section, usually near the eggs, or Ore Ida's frozen mashed potatoes. I add a half cup of sour cream to the mashed potatoes for creaminess and extra richness.

There are several ways to prepare your shepherd's pie. It can be prepared early in the day, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until the evening. Just remove the plastic wrap and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Or, if you're in a hurry at dinner hour, spread the mashed potatoes (they need to be hot) over the hot beef mixture in an oven-proof skillet, top with the grated cheese, and stick it under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

A crisp green salad and cooked carrots are good accompaniments. Keep the English theme at dessert by spreading slices of store-bought pound cake with raspberry preserves and topping them with vanilla instant pudding for the flavors of an English trifle.

Shepherd's Pie

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)

1 12-ounce jar beef gravy

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup frozen green peas

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup sour cream or reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the ground beef and onion in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef mixture and return to the skillet.

Add the gravy, Worcestershire and peas to the skillet and simmer on medium-low heat for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine prepared mashed potatoes with butter or margarine and sour cream.

Pour meat mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until heated through.

Makes 4 servings.

Karin Calloway is a corporate chef and free-lance writer. You can write her in care of The Augusta Chronicle, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30913. Or send her an e-mail to karingca@aol.com.