Shepherd’s Pie with Steamed Cabbage

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Sometimes Mondays are rough and you just need some comfort food to keep you going. This shepherd’s pie with steamed cabbage certainly meets that criteria and we really needed it today with all of our unexpected last-minute changes in our vacation planning.

Now, shepherd’s pie might look a little heavy, but I still consider it healthy to eat on occasion because it’s balanced with carbs, protein, and fat, and is still packed with tons of nutrients from the vegetables and meat. Plus, I mostly look forward to the steamed cabbage when we eat this meal. We steam ours in our rice cooker, but you can steam yours however you please! Sooooo good!

 

Shepherd’s Pie with Steamed Cabbage

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 6

Mashed Potato Topping
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
2 egg yolks
Heavy cream, ¼ cup
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan, 1/2 cup grated
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Filling
1 large onion, quartered
1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5lb ground lamb, beef, or elk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small bunch, fresh thyme leaves
3 large rosemary sprigs, needles finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
Green Cabbage, 1 large head, quartered and steamed (optional)

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain. Gently mash the potatoes with egg yolks, heavy cream, butter, and 1/4 cup parmesan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare your mirepoix by finely grating your onion, carrot, and garlic in a food processor. Set aside.

While the potatoes cook, heat oil in a deep oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground lamb, and stir until browned and broken into small pieces, about 8 minutes. Drain the fat and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400F.

Return skillet to the burner over medium-high heat and add mirepox. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes to cook down the vegetables. Then add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Add herbs and wine and stir for another 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook about 5-10 minutes, or until filling has soaked up most of the liquid.

In your oven-safe skillet, top filling with mashed potatoes and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top. Fluff the potatoes with a fork to give them a peaked look. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned and your pie is sizzling! Serve with a side of steamed cabbage and enjoy!