The Best Shepherd's Pie - Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

Shepherd's Pie Ingredients

Here's what you'll need: Ground Beef: You could also ground lamb if you prefer. Mashed Potatoes: Use starchy potatoes (like russet or Yukon Gold) for the best mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes are also made with butter, onion, and Cheddar cheese.

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato.

Why is my Shepherd's Pie soupy? If your casserole is too runny, chances are you either didn't add enough flour to thicken the gravy or you didn't simmer it long enough to reduce the liquid. Also, make sure your potatoes are thoroughly drained before making the mashed potatoes, so the topping is not too sloppy.

How do you keep potatoes from sinking in shepherd's pie? Let the beef layer cool before you top it with the mashed potatoes. This is the number one way to keep your potatoes from sinking. Another tip is to not make your potatoes too runny because firmer mashed potatoes stay more level while baking.

And, by doing so, the humble shepherd's pie was born. Originally, the dish contained a pastry shell at the bottom, top, or both. Over time, this morphed into potato slices at the bottom and top of savory minced lamb meat, until it eventually became a topping of mashed potatoes.

This shepherd's pie recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy but if you feel like the meat mixture is too watery, add in another tablespoon and stir to combine. You may also try simmering the mince mixture for longer so that the stock reduces down and thickens.

The dish often includes cheese and chicken; cod is sometimes used instead of beef. The filling is similar to that of a cottage pie, with the addition of sliced hard-boiled eggs. Similar to cottage pie; may also contain peppers.

This ultimate comfort food can be quite unhealthy, with lots of butter in the mash and pushing up your saturated fat intake. Here are a few ideas to make this classic a little healthier and just as tasty.

How to make shepherd's pie less salty? ›

Add Dairy. Milk can go a long way in solving the salty gravy (or sauce) problem. The creaminess in milk and other dairy products desensitizes your taste buds, making the sauce taste less salty. Using dairy adds richness, too.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? Make sure your casserole dish is the right size. You should also have firm mashed potatoes so it won't fall apart when you're serving. As you put the topping on, don't press too hard, using a gentle touch to smooth it out.

Crumble meat into pan and cook until brown all over. Sprinkle with flour. Stir in ketchup, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.

While most food can be reheated more than once, it is better to only reheat food once which is why it's suggested that you split large portions into smaller ones. Each time you reheat and cool food it is likely that you will alter the food's taste/texture as well as increasing the chances of bacteria growing.

My pumpkin pie always cracks or separates from the crust.

The solution? Blind-bake your pie crust with pie weights until light gold, then pour in the filling and bake until inch or so diameter in the center is still jiggly like jello—not soupy.

The pie dough is too dry!

There are two very important things to point out in those few words– “cold” water and “just until flour is moistened.” It's critical to use cold water to keep the butter cold. The butter should stay firm so it doesn't soften and combine with the flour.

You cooled the pie too quickly

The thermal shock of a pie going from a hot oven to the fridge can rapidly contract the egg proteins and just like overbaking, this will split the filling. To avoid this, make sure to allow your pie to cool down completely before chilling.

Use butter, not shortening

Pie crust made entirely with shortening will produce pie with a wonderfully crisp crimped edge, but also — potentially — a gap beneath the top crust. A pie crust based on butter is less likely to make a gap in pie than one made with shortening.