By Jerri Ann, Contributing Writer
We call it sheepherder’s pie in our house. That is what a shepherd is after all, a herder of sheep. So why is it called Shepherd’s Pie anyway?
I went to the google machine. It seems that Shepherd’s Pie is used synonymously with Cottage Pie. Cottage Pie dates back to the 1790′s when potatoes were first introduced as an edible and affordable crop to the poor, the ones living in cottages. The name changed to Shepherd’s Pie about 100 years later when people started putting mutton in the pies (aka sheep).
Shepherd’s Pie typically consists of a layer of meat (and gravy/juices), vegetables (often times carrots and green beans or peas), mashed potatoes, and sometimes cheese. So, I guess technically this recipe is for Cottage Pie, as I did not use mutton, but instead beef. Call it what you want, it’s delicious and a favorite in our little beach cottage with yellow shutters.
Want to hear some variations of Shepherd’s Pie? I thought you might.
- Cottage Pie- made with beef
- Cumberland Pie- breadcrumb crust
- St. Stephen’s Day Pie- made with turkey or ham
- Fish Pie- similar English dish made with fish
- Shepherdless Pie- vegetarian dish made with lentils or chickpeas (preferably soaked!)
Today I’m sharing my version of this comfort food. I’ve only made it with ground beef, but we’ll still call it Shepherd’s Pie. If you want to make this dish as nourishing as possible I recommend the following:
- Use grassfed beef, or organic or local at the very least.
- Use grassfed butter or unrefined coconut oil for some good fat.
- Organic vegetables are always a better option than their conventional counterpart. However, to stick to our grocery budget, I typically only buy The Dirty Dozen organically grown.
- Fresh or home preserved vegetables are best, but frozen organic vegetables are sometimes more affordable.
- Using homemade broth or stock adds a variety of nutrients to the dish, without the added table salt and other preservatives found in storebought. Making your own vegetable stock is beyond easy!
- Lastly, we just started using Real Salt, and we feel more than okay with using a generous helping to season meat dishes like this one.
- 2 lbs. ground beef, preferably grassfed
- 1 lb. fresh green beans
- 4-6 carrots
- 4-5 Russet potatoes
- splash milk, pat of butter
- 1 t. basil, oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Peel, chop, and place potatoes in pot and cover with water. Cover and bring to boil.
- Meanwhile, place ground beef in large/deep skillet over medium heat. Prepare green beans by snapping and breaking in half. Peel and chop carrots into bite sized pieces. Season ground beef with basil, oregano, S&P.
- Add green beans, carrots, and a splash of water (or broth if you have some) to skillet with beef. Allow to simmer for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain potatoes, add milk and butter, and mash. Sometimes we add garlic and/or rosemary.
