This was a great recipe (as are all of Chef John's)! I made a few additions and took some tips from other reviewers. First, I wanted it to be a more traditional Shepherd's Pie, so I used ground Lamb instead of beef. I diced 1/4 cup onion and 1/2 cup mushrooms and cooked it in with the Lamb as I was browning it. After the meet was finished, I added in a pinch of Thyme, Paprika, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I then continued with the original recipe. The last thing I did, after the dish was finished baking, I placed it under the broiler for a few minutes to make the cheese on top get nice and crispy.
I did not have any frozen vegetables in my freezer--I improvized. I threw in some chopped onion, chopped fresh zucchini, chopped fresh red pepper, and chopped fresh broccoli to take the place of the frozen vegetables. I also added a teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil to the meat/vegetable mixture and I cut back just a touch on the salt. I was able to use my cast iron skillet from beginning to end which I absolutely loved. My husband and two boys really liked this though my kids thought that it could use more cheese and my husband thought it could use more "gravy". Next time, I'll increase both the cheese amounts and "gravy" just a touch. This is absolutely comfort food defined.
Very easy to make, and tasted great. The potatoes were very creamy and flavorful, even with no butter added. The recipe didn't say when to add the salt and pepper, so I added it to the meat mixture. I also salted the water that I boiled the potatoes in. I wasn't sure what size casserole dish to use, but my 2-quart oval casserole worked perfectly. This is a great recipe for a quick, inexpensive meal. I'd like to try it using ground lamb also.
This shepherds pie turned out awsome, the only thing I changed was to add an extra half cup of beef broth as I like a little more gravy. I love that this recipe uses sour cream instead of cream cheese as this is much easier on my wasteline and my wallet and still very flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe :)
Its a keeper! Its a perfect way of using up leftover mashed potatoes, so that makes it even easier to make. I skip the sour cream since my leftover mashed potatoes already have butter and milk in them. I've made this twice now, both times with frozen veggies which works great. I follow the Recipe except I sauteed chopped onion and garlic with the meat, and add about twice as much broth to make more "gravy". I also add a few shakes of Worcestershire and maybe a little soy sauce to add a zip. Everything fits into a 2 quart casserole dish perfectly. Thanks Chef John!
First time making Shepherds Pie and it was a hit. I added about 6 cloves of garlic and 1/4 onion to the meat mixture and used veggie broth instead. I forgot the ketcup which made no difference. After smashig the potatoes I added garlic powder and pepper. The potatoes were so delightful that I make them as a side dish now. There are never any leftovers!
Thanks John!!
Make sure to put worsteshire sauce in meat mixture use more beef broth for more gravy. Also onions, salt and pepper and garlic powder or minced garlic
If you want a lovely shepherd's pie recipe this is it! So fast to make, but if you want it even tastier, use Italian sausage in place of the ground beef!!!
This Shepherds pie was good but the meat was a bit bland. I added a whole diced onion but next time I would add some garlic and a pinch of cloves to give it more flavour.
Well...we were really disappointed. The mashed potatoes were okay, but we found the meat mixture to be bland and really didn't like the the sweetness that the ketchup added. We've always loved Chef John's recipes, but this one surprised us in an unfortunate way.
