Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

1. Preheat oven and boil potatoes:

   Preheat oven to 450°F. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Cook vegetables:

   Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add flour and tomato paste:

   Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

4. Add beef:

   Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute.

5. Drain and mash potatoes:

   Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.

6. Assemble pie:

   Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

7. Bake:

   Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Enjoy the endless flexibility of this recipe and switch out the kinds of ground meat, vegetables, and aromatics in the ingredient list according to your mood and tastes.

In Place of Ground Beef:

Try ground lamb, turkey, or bison, or a plant-based ground meat substitute.

In Place of Carrots and Celery:

Add some variety with your desired combinations butternut squash, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, peas, spinach. Shepherd’s pie is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables or the odds and ends of your produce bin.

Be mindful of how long each vegetable takes to cook. For firm ingredients like winter squash that require longer cooking, take care to cut them into thin pieces and saute until tender before adding the flour and tomato paste.

For ingredients high in moisture like zucchini and tomatoes, saute them long enough to evaporate some of the liquid so you don’t end up with soggy, watery filling.

For softer, more delicate ingredients like peas and spinach, mix them into the filling as the very last step before transferring it to the baking dish.

Make Ahead

Both the filling and topping can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble the pie just before cooking.

You can also freeze the entire shepherd’s pie once assembled. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and store in the freezer up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before unwrapping and baking.

Storing Leftovers

If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, transfer them to a smaller dish and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

More Potato-Topped Pie Recipes to Try:

• Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie
• Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
• Potato-Mushroom Pie
  
• Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
• Sweet-Potato Shepherd's Pie
• Cottage Pie