I really didn’t know it was possible to whip up a shepherd’s pie in less than half an hour until I set my mind to it. I have had so much fun working on these recipes, partly because they’re delicious, but also because they’ve simplified my life so dramatically by cutting my time not only in half, but often by two-thirds or more. I actually prefer this shepherd’s pie to the slow-cooked one I used to make. The big trick? Microwaving potatoes cuts your mashed potato making time in half. There are a few other tricks that you’ll need to read on to gather. Another great benefit of this casserole is that it’s a lot lower in fat than traditional shepherd’s pie, but really not missing out on any of the rich flavor.
Ingredients
Potato Topping
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 pound 90 percent lean ground bison or beef
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Big pinch of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
- ¾ cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Pickapeppa Sauce, or 1 teaspoon ketchup plus a splash of Tabasco
- tablespoon Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread or olive oil
- Sweet paprika
How to Make It
- To make the topping, prick the potatoes a few times with a fork, put in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook in the microwave for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender (or if you have a baked potato setting, use that). Let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes in the microwave. Remove, split in half, and spoon out the potatoes’ flesh. They will be hot, so use a kitchen towel or gloves to protect your hands
- Using an electric hand mixer, whip together the potato, yogurt, olive oil, salt, and rice milk. Whip until fluffy. Set aside.
- Preheat the broiler on high.
- To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion, carrot, celery, and ground meat. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the cloves. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink.
- Sprinkle the meat and vegetables with the brown rice flour, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the beef broth, bring to a boil, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Add the ketchup and Pickapeppa Sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 7 by 11-inch casserole or baking dish. Top evenly with mashed potatoes, dot the top with the buttery spread, and sprinkle with the paprika.
- Broil 6 inches from the heat source for 6 to 8 minutes, until the top is browned. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.