Beef Shepherds Pie. What’s better on a cold wintry night? Shredded beef, red wine, beef stock, onions, peas, and carrots topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. It’s a great way to use beef and mashed potato leftovers from another meal!
One of my husband’s favorite dishes is Shepherd’s Pie, also known as Cottage Pie. I wondered about using shredded beef this time, instead of my usual smoked chicken in my Succulent Smoked Chicken Shepherd’s Pie or the usual ground meat in the traditional beef or lamb version.
For Christmas, my husband roasted a lovely prime rib of beef. We had a lot of leftover prime rib, so I froze some of it. Also, I had a few cups of mashed potatoes left over from another meal earlier this week. Shepherds Pie for an evening meal during this seemingly unending Winter sounded good to us.
I used some of the pre-cooked prime rib in this recipe. You could use an uncooked pot roast. Just be sure to sear the pot roast in oil until all sides are browned, but not cooked through. If you substitute uncooked pot roast, you’ll likely need to increase your simmering time so the meat cooks and becomes tender and succulent.
Slice some onions lengthwise.
Warm some olive oil in a Dutch oven
Add the sliced onions and let them sweat a bit and slightly caramelize.
Place the prime rib slab on top of the onions.
Add beef broth and some dry red wine to cover the meat.
Cover and simmer for a few hours until the meat starts to fall apart. You can help it along as it softens by separating it with a fork.
Get the onion, carrot and peas ready. Dice the onion and carrot. Set the peas aside in a bowl.
Warm some butter in a non-stick skillet. Saute the onion and carrot until they soften.
Add the peas and stir to warm through.
Add 2 cups of the red wine braised beef to the vegetable mixture and warm through.
In another pan, warm some mashed potatoes. Stir until warmed through.
Transfer the beef vegetable mixture to a large greased ramekin. Spoon the warmed mashed potatoes over the beef vegetable mixture.
Smooth the mashed potato topping with a spatula. Sprinkle with some shredded cheeses.
And bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour.
When the Beef Shepherds Pie is bubbling on top and the internal temperature is at least 160 degrees, remove it from the oven.
Let the Beef Shepherds Pie sit for a few minutes to cool slightly.
When the Shepherds Pie has cooled slightly, plate it.
My Shepherds Pie is more of a stew than a pie. You won’t be able to cut pie slices out of it. But the flavors are there, rich and inviting. Comfort food at its best.
Enjoy!!
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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….
Beef Shepherds Pie
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 lb slab cooked prime rib (you can use uncooked beef pot roast, just be sure to season with salt and pepper on all sides, and then sear it in some oil until brown on all sides but not cooked through — you will need to increase your overall cooking time)
8 c beef broth
4 c dry red wine, divided
2 T butter
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 c green peas, thawed if frozen
2 c mashed potatoes
1 c shredded cheese (use sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a mixture of the two)
Method:
1. In a Dutch oven, on the stovetop, warm the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions to the pan and saute until they are translucent and slightly caramelized.
3. Place the prime rib slab on top of the onions.
4. Add the beef broth and half of the red wine.
5. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for several hours or until the beef falls apart.
6. When the beef is starting to shred, and you can use a fork to help it along, add the rest of the red wine.
7. Simmer the shredded beef a bit longer, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, cover, and set aside.
8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. In a skillet, warm the butter.
10. Saute the diced onion and carrot until soft.
11. Add the green peas, stir, and warm through.
12. Add 2 cups of the red wine-braised shredded beef and stir. Set aside.
13. In another skillet, warm the mashed potatoes.
14. Transfer the beef and vegetable mixture to a greased large ramekin or baking dish.
15. Spread the mashed potatoes over the beef and vegetable mixture. Smooth the mashed potatoes with a spatula.
16. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the mashed potatoes.
17. Bake for an hour, or until the top is browned and bubbling, and the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
18. When the Shepherds Pie is done, remove it from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
19. Plate the Shepherds Pie, being sure to get some of the cheesy mashed potato topping on each of the servings.
20. Enjoy!
Serves 6 as a main course. Offer with a side salad such as my Simple Cucumber Salad and some crusty bread.
Variations: Use browned ground beef or lamb instead of using the wine-braised shredded beef. Add other vegetables to the mixture. Use a different cheese such as Havarti or Swiss. Mix the cheese into the mashed potatoes, then top the beef mixture, and use a fork to make pretty swirls in the mashed potatoes.
Get your own Le Creuset Dutch Oven:
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