Best Creamy French Shepherds Pie Recipes

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
• Place the beef, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium bowl. Mash with your hand to combine. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• While the meat tenderizes, place the potatoes in medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft and fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher until they are dry and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sour cream, butter, half & half, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Using a potato masher, stir and mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set the mashed potatoes aside.
• Heat a 12-in oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the onions and carrots to the bacon fat and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and increase the heat to high; bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the flour and stir until dissolved. Add the reserved ground beef mixture, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce; continue cooking on high heat, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme, pepper, peas, and reserved bacon, and cook until the peas are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Dollop the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling. Use a rubber or offset spatula to spread the potatoes evenly over the stew and all the way to the edges of the skillet. Drag a fork across the top to make ridges. Place the skillet on a baking sheet or large sheet of foil to catch any drips and bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned, and the edges are bubbly, about 30 minutes. (For more color, turn on the broiler and broil for the last 5 minutes, or until the top is golden.) Sprinkle with chives and serve.
• Note: If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the meat mixture to a 2.5-qt casserole dish and then spread the mashed potatoes overtop.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The stew portion of the recipe can be made several days ahead of time and refrigerated. Before assembling the pie, reheat the stew, adding a little broth if necessary if it seems dry. The mashed potatoes should be made right before assembling and baking the pie.

HACHIS PARMENTIER (FRENCH SHEPHERD'S PIE)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and add half of the beef. Break it up with a wooden spatula and cook, stirring frequently, until it is browned - about 4 min. Season with pinches of salt and pepper, stir, and transfer to a bowl.
• Add more olive oil to the skillet and cook the second batch of beef. Once the second batch is browned, add the first batch back into the skillet, along with the onion and garlic. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook until onion softens - about 4 min.
• Add wine and simmer for a few minutes to evaporate most of the alcohol.
• In a small cup/dish, dissolve tomato paste with a bit of vegetable stock and add to skillet, along with remaining stock and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper and stir. Turn heat down to low and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 min. Be sure to taste and re-season the sauce if necessary.
• In the meantime, prepare the potatoes. Rinse them under cold running water and place into a large pot. Cover with water by about 2" and add a generous pinch of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, crack the lid, turn heat down to low and simmer until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork, about 12 min.
• While potatoes are cooking, prepare the cream: pour cream into a small saucepan and add butter. Heat over a low flame until butter is melted - do not boil.
• Drain potatoes and transfer to a food processor. Pour cream mixture over the potatoes and season with a small pinch of salt. Puree until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 375F. Place beef in a single layer in into a 8x8" baking dish and top with potatoes. Bake for about 15 min, until potatoes are set.

CREAMY FRENCH SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• 1. Boil potatoes on medium heat add 2 tbs of salt
• 2. Meanwhile brown and season beef, add onions
• 3. When beef is almost done, stir in peaches and cream corn, cover and remove from heat.
• 4. When potatoes are fork tender, turn off heat, drain potatoes with a strainer. Put potatoes back into pot. Work on the counter put dish cloth under pot to avoid overheating counter and to stabilize your pot.
• 5. Mash potatoes , add butter or margarine and continue mashing vigorously add 1 cup of milk , keep mashing
• 6. Beat 5 eggs with 1 cup of milk then stir into mashed potatoes
• 7. Building your pies Pam spray the bottom of 3 pans
• 8. Put one layer of mashed potatoes on bottom of each pan
• 9. Second , put a layer of the ground beef and corn mixture
• 10. Third , put cream corn to cover the ground beef
• 11. Fourth layer put the remaining mashed potatoes using a spatula working from the edges towards the center until all corn is covered, smooth out as you go
• 12. When all pans are covered and potatoes smoothed over, sprinkle bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and Garlic plus
• 13. Bake at 385F for 35 min or until golden brown Remove from oven let rest 10 min on cooling rack before serving Serve with preferred topping..

EASY SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Return meat to skillet. Add mixed vegetables and gravy; mix well.
• Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Mix potatoes, cream cheese, garlic and 1/2 cup cheddar until blended; spoon over meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until soft; a knife should go in with almost no resistance.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with high sides or an enameled cast-iron braiser over medium-high heat, bring the lentils, thyme and 2 cups of the broth to a simmer with 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the lentils, partly covered, until they are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer the lentils to a bowl.
• Finish the topping: In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Drain potatoes well and return to pot. Using a masher or a ricer, mash hot potatoes until smooth. Mix in the hot butter mixture and sour cream just until blended. Stir in 1/2 of the Parmigiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
• Finish the filling: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in the 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until they are deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add leeks, carrots and garlic, and continue to cook until tender, another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it is well combined, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, cooked lentils and peas, and cook until thickened. Remove thyme stems and stir in lemon juice to taste.
• Top the mixture with dollops of the mashed potatoes, then spread them out over the top. (Or transfer the lentil mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish and spread into an even layer, and top with potatoes.) Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano. Transfer to the oven and, if the mixture is at the top edges of your pan, set a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any drips. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

SHEPHERD'S PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place chopped potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are tender (12-15 minutes), don't overcook potatoes. Drain and mash potatoes in the same pot.
• Add warm cream and 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) then mash until smooth. Lastly, mash in the parmesan cheese and beaten egg.
• Preheat oven to 400˚F with a rack in the center. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and ground beef. Breaking up the beef with a spatula then season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and cook until meat is just cooked through and no longer pink (5 minutes).
• Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes to soften then add minced garlic and stir another minute.
• Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp flour and stir for 1 minute. You'll see a film form on the bottom of your pan.
• Stir in red wine, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan for a minute. Add beef broth, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of frozen veggies and bring to a light boil. Season with another 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper or add to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.
• Transfer meat and veggie mixture to a deep pie dish, or 11x7 or 9x9 casserole dish.
• Scoop mashed potatoes over the top then spread evenly, making sure to seal the potatoes to the edge of the dish so the filling doesn't bubble up.
• Drizzle 2 Tbsp melted butter over the top. Place a sheet of foil under the casserole to catch any drips and bake at 400˚F on the center rack for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes start to turn golden. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

FRENCH ONION SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Mash potatoes and add 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, milk, green onion, and butter. Stir until mixed well.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in the hot skillet with flour and pepper until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in French onion soup and water.
• Warm frozen peas in a small, microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir peas into the beef and soup mixture.
• Pour the meat and soup mixture into the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Spread potatoes over the top using a rubber spatula. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese and sprinkle with more pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes.