happy first post of 2018!!!! i couldn't be more excited to share this sheppard's pie with you, because my god it is gooood. with the weather being insanely cold & snowy here, ain't nobody got time for salad! give me ALL the comfort food winter has to offer. this dish has always been a favourite in my family, but i gave it a little upscale twist by adding in wintery fresh herbs & cambria wines. you have two options when it comes to the wine & meat choice. if you want to keep things on the lighter side & use ground chicken or turkey i reccomend using cambria wine's benchbreak chardonnay. it adds so much flavour to the filling, you will never want to make sheppard's pie without a wine based filling again. if you want to keep things on the classic side & use ground lamb or beef, use cambria wine's benchbreak pinot noir. both combinations are equally fantastic, so i can't possibly pick a favourite. may this dish keep you warm from the inside out this season!
ingredients
for the topping
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, cubed
- 2 garlic cloves, whole
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
for the filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled & diced small
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 pound ground meat (beef, lamb or chicken)
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1/3 cup cambria wine's benchbreak chardonnay or pinot noir
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- salt & pepper, to taste
directions
for the topping
- fill a large pot with water & season heavily with salt.
- add the potatoes & garlic. bring to a boil over medium high heat & cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
- strain the water & immediately mash in the butter, cream, thyme, salt & pepper.
- set aside while you prepare the filling.
for the filling
- in a large skillet over medium heat melt together the butter, olive oil & garlic.
- add the onions, carrots, rosemary & thyme. cook until the onions begins to turn translucent & the carrots soften.
- add the ground meat. season generously with salt & pepper.
- once the meat has fully cooked, add the stock, wine, peas & corn to the skillet.
- sprinkle flour over the filling & toss to coat. sauce should begin to thicken slightly.
- remove from heat. season with salt & pepper.
- transfer filling to a large baking dish & top with mashed potato mixture.
- bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.
