If you show up at the doorstep of a new parent with this dish, it will not be forgotten. It’s warming, hearty and packed with hidden veg that have been cooked down with the rich sauce – kids and adults alike wouldn’t know WHAT is in there… perfect time to sneak in the iron powerhouse of chicken livers if you can swing it, as you won’t even be able to taste them.
It’s been a staple in my household since I was a kid, some people might know the more traditional version as Cottage pie but this is our take with both pork and beef mince. With a crispy, cheesy top and rich saucy filling, there will be clean plates afterwards – that much I and my picky toddler can attest to!
The ultimate shepherd’s pie
This beautifully rich, meaty dish is so delicious – and stuffed with hidden veg. The perfect dish to make 2 filling trays of – one for your home and someone else's.
Equipment
- 1 large high sided pan / pot
- 1 medium pot
- 1 large or 2 medium oven trays
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 brown onions finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 500 g beef mince
- 250 g pork mince
- 100 g diced chicken livers (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 medium zucchini grated
- 2 medium carrots grated
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup of beef broth or stock
- 1 cup of red wine
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- Quarter of a cauliflower (4-5 florets and their stems), diced
- 1 capsicum deseeded and diced
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 can red kidney beans (or lentils if you want to hide them)
- 2 stems of fresh rosemary, finely chopped or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1 tablespoon milk or equivalent we use almond
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the topping
- 1/4 large pumpkin skin removed and chopped
- 4 large potatoes washed and chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 large sweet potato washed and chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup milk or equivalent (we use almond)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups of grated tasty cheese
Instructions
- Start your filling by slowly caramelising your onion and garlic in the olive oil till they’re fragrant, then remove them from the pan.
- Brown your mince (and if you're brave enough, diced chicken livers) on a medium heat in your large pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
- When all the mince is browned – add the paprika and cumin, then stir to combine with the grated carrot and zucchini.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, beef broth/stock, Worcestershire sauce and red wine – stir well and bring up to a medium/high simmer to reduce.
- Then add in your diced vegetables (carrot, capsicum, zucchini and cauliflower) and let them cook down for around 15 mins. Stir every few mins to avoid anything sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Put a large pot of well salted water on to boil for your chopped pumpkin, sweet potato and potatoes.
- Cook the potatoes and pumpkin for 10-15 mins until they are tender when you stab with a fork, then drain off around 90% of the water.
- Now is a good time to pre-heat your oven to 180’ fan forced.
- Turn the filling down to a medium simmer and add your frozen peas, red kidney beans and fresh rosemary, then simmer for another 10-15 mins. It should be a fairly thickened sauce, with both the vegetables and meat nice and tender. If it seems too liquid-y add 1 tsp of cornflour and stir to combine.
- Mash the potatoes and pumpkin all together, the skins should break down easily with no need to remove. Add in the butter, milk and any leftover fresh rosemary you have, along with generous salt and pepper seasoning.
- Add a splash of milk to the filling, along with any extra salt and pepper to taste – leave to simmer on low till you are ready to construct (the longer, the better).
- Spoon your filling mixture into 1 large or 2 medium oven proof dishes around half way / three quarters of the height of the dish.
- Then spoon on your mash topping, using a fork or the back of a spoon to distribute and level out the mixture across the filling.
- Sprinkle your grated cheese over the mash. This is the perfect point to stop if you want to let the dish cool down and freeze for another time OR to deliver to someone else.
- If you are ready to cook, pop your dish in the oven for 10 mins till the top is golden brown (you might want to swap to fan grill if your oven allows it).
- Serve a large scoop alongside extra steamed peas if you want, but it’s full of veg so you can simply enjoy as-is.
Notes
REHEATING To reheat, simply defrost the frozen dish fully, and place in a fan forced over for approx 45 mins. Be sure to check it’s heated through and the cheese on top is golden. — ADDITIONS You can basically put any chopped or grated vegetables in here and nobody is going to notice. E.g. there are carrots and zucchini both chopped and grated in – you could grate everything if you like but I prefer a chunky texture. The grated veg basically disappear into the sauce in the end. Same goes for the chicken livers if you are going to go there – even 100g of these will amp up the iron content SO much, which is so beneficial particularly in postpartum. — TIME Lastly, the longer you leave the filling simmering, the more the depth of flavour will develop. You can even leave it in a slow cooker overnight and simply freeze this portion by itself, then cook and add the mash and cheese later when you want to cook it. — MEAL PREPPING If you are cooking for 1 or 2 people, a bunch of smaller 1 litre oven dishes are a great way to meal prep and freeze, you should get around 4 or 5 from this size batch.
