If comfort food is calling your name, we recommend answering with our Alton Brown-inspired shepherd’s pie — a scrumptious, filling meat pie topped with a billowy mashed-potato crust. True shepherd’s pies are made with lamb meat, while similar mashed-potato topped pies made with beef are called cottage pies. Both versions of this dish are drop-to-your-knees good, but the distinct flavor of lamb gives shepherd’s pie something special. ALSO TRY: Thyme mashed potatoes with mascarpone cheese Alton Brown’s rendition of shepherd’s pie features a delectable ground lamb filling made with onion, carrots, corn, peas and garlic. Rich mashed potatoes top it all off, along with shredded cheddar cheese for an extra layer of soul-satisfying goodness. You’ll start by making the mashed potatoes, with half-and-half and the butter for some serious richness. Then you’ll mash in the cheese and egg yolk. Save yourself some time and start cooking the meat mixture while your potatoes are boiling in the pot. Next, you’ll sauté the veggies and lamb, to which you’ll add the seasonings for a mouthwatering umami quality. Stir in the corn and peas, put the filling in the baking dish, and dollop the mashed potatoes on top of it all. Bake this riot of meat and potato goodness for 25 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned. Let it rest for 15 minutes (if you can resist that long), then dig into the most comforting comfort food you’ve ever had.
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Add chopped potatoes to pot
Add butter and half-and-half to cooked potatoes
Place egg yolk in mashed potato mixture
Begin to sauté carrots and onions
Add ground lamb to mixture
Stir mixture while waiting for it to cook
Place mashed potatoes on top of filling in casserole dish
Fully cooked shepherd’s pie looks great out of the oven
The lamb filling is just as good as the potatoes on top!
Don’t these crispy brown mashed potaotes look delicious?
The perfect serving of shepherd’s pie
Courses Main course
1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice1/4 cup half-and-half2 ounces unsalted butter3/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 cup shredded cheddar cheese1 egg yolk, whisked
Meat filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 cup chopped onion2 carrots, peeled and diced finely2 cloves garlic, minced1-1/2 pounds ground lamb1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 teaspoons tomato paste1 cup chicken broth1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
For filling:
