Gremolata Kitchen
Shepherd’s Pie with Beretta Farms Beef
By Gremolata Kitchen
Serving Size: 5-6
Class: Easy (under 1 hour)
Shepherd’s Pie or “Cottage Pie” is a classic comfort food originating from England. Traditional recipes would call for potatoes, beef, carrots and peas but this recipe adds some wild local mushrooms to give it that little something special. When we made this in the Gremolata Kitchen, we wanted to keep it local and every ingredient was sourced from farms within Ontario. Our beef came from Beretta Farms and our butter and milk came from Organic Meadow. If you are looking to create your own “local” version, Shepherd’s Pie is an easy dish to modify as the original would have been made from local and seasonal products within a typical English town – all of which are grown within most parts of North America.
Ingredients:
1 Pound of Ground Beef
4 Potatoes, Peeled, Cooked and Mashed
½ Cup of Fresh or Frozen Green Peas OR Corn
½ Cup of Mushrooms (sliced)
¼ Cup of Fresh Carrots (chopped)
1 Onion (diced)
1 Clove of Garlic (diced)
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of Butter
1-2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream
1-2 Tablespoons of Whole Milk
Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Boil potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until tender, drain, and mash.
Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion, carrots and garlic with vegetable oil in a frying pan for 5-6 minutes.
Add the ground beef and sauté for another 10 minutes until fully cooked. Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5-6 minutes longer. Add your frozen or fresh peas or Corn along with the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
Take your mashed hot potatoes and melt butter into them. Add the milk and sour cream and whip. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the meat mixture to a baking dish and cover with the whipped potatoes.
Cook in the oven oven for 30-35 minutes until the potato topping is crisp and golden.
Cook Smart Tip:
You can choose to cook the items separately and add them in layers if desired. A layer of the ground beef, one of the peas or corn, another of mushrooms, etc.. This is a fool-proof dish and you can customize it as you see fit.
Want to add something special? You can always add your favorite cheese to the potato mixture like a sharp cheddar or creamy Niagara Gold. Another option is to replace the beef with a local ground lamb. For a golden top, try shredding some cold butter on top much like you would cheese before placing in the oven.
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