I have made a homemade Shepherd's Pie numerous different ways, but this time I went for perfection! Here, you'll find a recipe with twist on Gordon Ramsay's classic shepherds pie dish. I had an opportunity to be on Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsay himself and meet him on two occasions as being a part of the show. It was truly an honor getting to cook for him.
Now that it's chilly outside...it's time for a classic cozy recipe with a bit of my spin on Chef Gordon Ramsay's Shepherd's Pie!
Is Shepherd's Pie hard to make?
No, with a little bit of patience while cooking down the red wine and then the chicken stock, you'll have a simple recipe to throw together in no time. Wanting to save time? Instead of homemade mashed potatoes (although it's best that way), use instant.
Food for thought: by pre chopping and measuring your ingredients, you'll save a ton of time and stay organized. The flow of the recipe will come to you easier and with less of a juggling feeling.
What makes this Pie different..
I added in bell peppers for sweet, deep flavor. I'm on a bell pepper kick lately, and you'll soon find out why! I also added rosemary because I love pairing it with meaty dishes. Thirdly, instead of using only lamb, I used 1 lb of ground bison. Of course...you could skip out on using the Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese but I don't suggest it! That cheese brings the dish home!
Helpful Items for Shepherd's Pie
- Flint and Flame Knives - I use these daily and have had them for over 2 years. I've yet to sharpen them! Definitely great quality knives. Code CHEFTIM40 to get 40% this knife or their entire website.
- Cuisinart Immersion Blender - Affordable handheld blender that's great for making soups and sauces.
- Potato Ricer - Want the BEST mashed potatoes? Can't do it without a ricer! And this one comes with a lifetime warranty!
- Hexclad Pots - <-- 10% off my favorite cookware in the kitchen!
- Staub Cast Iron Pan - You'll want the largest size for this portion. When cooking down the wine and stock, your pan will be very full!
- Torch - Affordable and portable! Small for storing and does the job perfectly.
- Salt - When I'm using salt as a topper for finishing dishes, I like to use a quality salt.
- Good Life Brands Meat - This is where I got the lamb and bison from. They shipped right to my door!
- Strainer - Every kitchen should have one ;). Having a metal large one is the way to go!
- Bench Scraper - No joke.. everytime I cook I use this. You'll surprise yourself with how much you'll end up using it!
- Cutting Board - My friends over at SMK Woodworking have gifted me with the best quality cutting board! Give them a like and check them out!
- Measuring Cups - Having a set of different sizes is lifesaving in the kitchen! This Anchor brand is my go to.
Ingredients you'll need your Shepherd's Pie
For the Pie
- 2 tablespoon EVOO
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 lb Ground Bison
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, for seasoning meat
- 1 Large Onion, diced
- 3 Small Bell Peppers, diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, diced
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, or 1 Roma tomato
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 7 oz Red Wine
- 2 ½ oz Worcestershire
- 4 ½ Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Sprig of Rosemary, diced
- 4 Sprigs of Thyme, diced
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lbs Potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 5 oz Milk or Heavy Cream
- 2 Egg Yolks
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Scallions, diced
- ¼ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
How to Make The Best Homemade Shepherd's Pie
Making the Inside of the Pie
Step 1 : Prep and dice ingredients.
Step 2 : Add extra virgin olive oil to skillet and brown meat with pepper only. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and drain off any excess grease. Don't worry you will end up with only about 1-2 tablespoon because typically lamb and bison are very lean. Set meat aside.
Step 3 : Add 2 tablespoon butter to skillet on medium heat with onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Add in garlic and herbs, stir and cook for one more minute.
Step 4 : Still on a medium heat, add meat back into the skillet along with tomato puree and flour. Stir and cook about three minutes.
Step 5 : Add in red wine and Worcestershire. Stir periodically until wine is reduced by half. Add in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce temp to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes until most of the liquid is cooked out. Stir often.
Note: It may seem like a lot of liquid.. but it will cook out and leave behind a beautiful rich flavor.
Making the Mashed Potatoes
Step 6 : While meat mixture is cooking in the stock, place a pot of water on the stove on high heat. Peel the potatoes and chop them. Once boiling, add about a tablespoon of sea salt to water and stir to dissolve. Then, add in potatoes.
Step 7 : In a separate pot add in butter and milk. Warm them up to melt butter but DO NOT boil. You never want to pour cold milk into hot potatoes. Once tender, remove potatoes from water and add back into the warm pot. Let cool ever so slightly.
Step 8 : Then add in your milk, butter, salt, pepper, scallions, egg yolks, and parmesan cheese. Stir the potatoes well to incorporate all those ingredients.
Bringing it All Together
Step 9 : In a baking dish, add in your meat and spread around to make it even and then place the potatoes on top and spread those around, so the meat mixture is completely covered.
Step 10 : Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes until the potato mixture has turned golden brown on top. Torch the top for a satisfying browned topping (optional). Allow 15 minutes to cool before serving.
What are the "must haves" on your family menus? Let me know your families favorite recipes in the comments! I love gathering ideas from fellow cooks!
Recipe
Homemade Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie
- 2 tablespoon EVOO
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 lb Ground Bison
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper for seasoning meat
- 1 Large Onion diced
- 3 Small Bell Peppers diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves diced
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree or 1 Roma tomato
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 7 oz Red Wine
- 2 ½ oz Worcestershire
- 4 ½ Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Sprig of Rosemary diced
- 4 Sprigs of Thyme diced
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lbs Potatoes peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 5 oz Milk or Heavy Cream
- 2 Egg Yolks
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 Scallions diced
- ¼ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano shredded
Instructions
Making the Inside of the Pie
- Prep and dice ingredients.
- Add extra virgin olive oil to skillet and brown meat with pepper only. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and drain off any excess grease. Don't worry you will end up with only about 1-2 tablespoon because typically lamb and bison are very lean. Set meat aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon butter to skillet on medium heat with onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Add in garlic and herbs, stir and cook for one more minute.
- Still on a medium heat, add meat back into the skillet along with tomato puree and flour. Stir and cook about three minutes.
- Add in red wine and Worcestershire. Stir periodically until wine is reduced by half. Add in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce temp to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes until most of the liquid is cooked out. Stir often.
Making the Mashed Potatoes
- While meat mixture is cooking in the stock, place a pot of water on the stove on high heat. Peel the potatoes and chop them. Once boiling, add about a tablespoon of sea salt to water and stir to dissolve. Then, add in potatoes.
- In a separate pot add in butter and milk. Warm them up to melt butter but DO NOT boil. You never want to pour cold milk into hot potatoes. Once tender, remove potatoes from water and add back into the warm pot. Let cool ever so slightly.
- Then add in your milk, butter, salt, pepper, scallions, egg yolks, and parmesan cheese. Stir the potatoes well to incorporate all those ingredients.
Bringing it All Together
- In a baking dish, add in your meat and spread around to make it even and then place the potatoes on top and spread those around, so the meat mixture is completely covered.
- Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes until the potato mixture has turned golden brown on top. Torch the top for a satisfying browned topping (optional). Allow 15 minutes to cool before serving.
Nutrition
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Chef Tim Clowers says
One of my favorite recipes that says comfort.