Shepherd's Pie - Texas Style

We love Shepherd's Pie and have tried many, many versions over the years.  I find most of them too bland, so decided to concoct one of my own - Texas Style!

The filling for this casserole is savory and very tasty, with a kick of green chiles for added flavor.  It came out quite nicely and I wanted to share it with you.

The ingredients are pretty straightforward and you probably have the majority of them in your pantry.  Always use the very freshest in this pie, including fresh corn on the cob, carrots, and onion.  

I did make an exception for the frozen peas.  Canned peas get mushy when cooked for very long and frozen peas, although cooked thoroughly, are firmer and fresher tasting.

Shepherd's Pie - Texas Style is very versatile and you can change it up if you'd like.  A lot of people like celery in it, but I don't care for the taste in this recipe.  You can add a half cup or so if you'd like, or change it up and use other vegetables that your family prefers.

If you can't get green chiles easily in your area, you can chop up a fresh jalapeno if you want to keep that special spiciness.  Leave it out if you'd like.

We love this with the Gruyere, but if you'd rather use white cheddar or some other white cheese, knock yourself out.  And yes, you can leave the cheese out, but it's a little better with it!

This is a simple, hearty meat and potatoes meal, but it does take a bit of preparation - chopping the vegetables and making the mashed potatoes. 

It's worth the extra time and we've found the leftovers to be excellent.  (And it's a good way to get the kids to eat vegetables...)

If you like this recipe, you may also like my Beef Potato Bake made with leftover brisket. Cheesy, beefy, potato goodness!

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Shepherd's Pie - Texas Style

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Hearty Shepherd's Pie with a spicy Texas twist!

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Ingredients

• 2 baking potatoes, medium
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 ounces Gruyere, shredded and divided
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 cup beef broth or stock
• ½ cup fresh corn off the cob (1-2 small ears)
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 can green chiles, undrained (4 oz)

Instructions

1. Mashed Potatoes - chop the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and put in a large pan covered in water (about 2" extra above the potatoes). Boil for 8-10 minutes, till soft, then drain well. Add the butter and milk and mash until they're smooth or chunky - your choice. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1 ounce of the Gruyere and set potatoes aside till ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. While the potatoes are boiling, add the ground beef into a large pan on medium heat, along with the onions and carrots. Stir until browned and vegetables are fairly softened. Drain most of the grease, leaving about 2 teaspoons.
3. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour, salt and pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme, and stir till combined. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and ketchup.
4. Add the broth, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the corn, peas, and green chiles and stir together with about ¼ cup of water. Let it thicken up a bit (but you don't want all of the moisture out of it - it will be like thick stew). Add a tablespoon or more of water if needed. Taste and salt and pepper if needed.
5. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly on top of the beef mixture, then sprinkle with remaining 1 ounce of Gruyere. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly.
6. Turn the oven to Broil and put the casserole dish under the broiler to brown the potatoes for about 1 minute - watch it carefully so it doesn't get too dark!
7. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes

This is a very versatile recipe. If you want to leave the corn out, do it! Use white cheddar cheese as an alternative to Gruyere if you'd like. Leave your mashed potatoes chunky or have them smooth. Whatever your family would like!

I use Better Than Bouillon dissolved in a cup of water and I highly recommend it, but I know a lot of people can't get it in their local grocery.

I use 80/20 ground beef. If you use 90/10, you might want to add more liquid to get it to a thick stew consistency.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 850mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 28g

Nutrition Values are Approximate