Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
Ecclesiastes 9:7
I guess I should begin by confessing that what I call a “Shepherd’s Pie” is – according to my late mother – in actuality a “Cottage Pie.” This, she always insisted, is because Shepherd’s Pie does not include vegetables.
I, however, claim naming rights by virtue of the fact that this recipe is my invention and I can call it what I want to. Or, in the parlance of the country where this recipe has its spiritual roots, “What I jolly well want to.”
Regardless, Sunday evening’s Shepherd’s Pie was without a doubt the best I have ever made so I am sharing it with you here.
First, I use ground beef (92%) rather than the traditional mutton. Also, and this is important to me, I make this in a well seasoned 10-inch iron skillet. By “well seasoned” I mean that I have been cooking in it for almost forty-seven years.
Okay, I think this works best in bullet points. Here goes.
- Sauté chopped onion and celery until the onion is nicely caramelized
- Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic
- Brown ground beef
- Add a cup of brown gravy and mix well
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Layer cooked mixed vegetable
- Layer of mashed potatoes
- Layer shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- Layer Panko breadcrumbs
- Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 350 for 20 mins then turn up to 380 and air-fry (or convection) for another 10
Let the Shepherd’s pie rest for five minutes before serving.
Here are the photos, in order. Enjoy!! – DEREK
