At the top of the list of recipes I wanted to make sure I got around to during the colder months was a good ole Shepherd’s Pie using ground beef. Mashed potatoes are piled on top of a hearty stew made up of ground beef, vegetables, and sauce. It’s a home cooked classic that will leave you feeling all warm and cozy inside. The cold weather was practically begging me to give this recipe a try. Is it calling out to you as well?
Ground beef or ground turkey in shepherd’s pie.
If you have been coming to the Meal Planning Mommies blog for any time at all, you probably know that I rarely use ground beef on here. I typically use ground turkey.
I decided to use lean ground beef, as opposed to ground turkey, this time. One of our good friends has a close connection to a butcher who sells VERY lean ground beef, and she asked if we wanted to buy some. We purchased ten pounds, so chances are good I will be finding some new ways to incorporate the ground beef into some recipes in the near future. I used the first pound on this Shepherd’s Pie recipe. For the purposes of this blog, I am suggesting you use 95% lean ground beef, but you certainly don’t have to.
How about no meat?
Have you ever tried a Shepherd’s Pie that did not include any meat at all? For a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie recipe that is surprisingly tasty, you should definitely check out the Meal Planning Mommies Lentil Shepherd’s Pie! It tastes so good!! I promise!
Garlic and Herb seasoning in Shepherd’s Pie.
I used Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning in this recipe. Mrs. Dash seasonings are great because they add a lot of flavor to a recipe without all of the salt.
For another recipe that uses Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning, you’ll want to check out the Mayo Garlic & Herb Chicken that is super easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. Plus, it’s just 1 WW SP per serving!!
Here is what you will need:
1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons garlic & herb seasoning, divided
Cooking Spray
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
Here is what you do:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot. Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and allow to cook 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken broth, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning. Mash potatoes, or beat the potatoes with an egg beater until the potatoes are smooth.
Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook 4 minutes, mixing halfway through cooking time. Add onion and cook 2 more minutes. Add ground beef and garlic and cook 5 minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks.
Stir in remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic & herb seasoning, tomato sauce, peas, and corn and simmer 3-5 minutes.
Transfer meat and veggie mixture to a large round or rectangle casserole dish.
Spread mashed potatoes over the top, using the back of a spoon to make swirls.
Bake until the potatoes are golden, about 25-30 minutes.
Slice into 6 even slices and serve warm.
Makes 6 servings.
One serving is approximately 1 cup.
One serving is 6 green, 5 blue, and 2 purple points.
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons light sour cream
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic & herb seasoning, divided
- Cooking spray
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot. Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and allow to cook 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken broth, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning. Mash potatoes, or beat the potatoes with an egg beater until the potatoes are smooth.
- Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook 4 minutes, mixing halfway through cooking time. Add onion and cook 2 more minutes. Add ground beef and garlic and cook 5 minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks.
- Stir in remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic & herb seasoning, tomato sauce, peas, and corn and simmer 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer meat and veggie mixture to a large round or rectangle casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes over the top, using the back of a spoon to make swirls.
- Bake until the potatoes are golden, about 25-30 minutes.
- Slice into 6 even slices and serve warm.
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Diana says
Alisha, Shepherd’s Pie is one of my all-time (childhood) favorites. Since joining WW I found it difficult to enjoy this beloved dish, until I tried a couple of substitutes to bring it under 4 points per cup. My big change (that my family easily and quickly accepted as YUMMY) was to use “mashed butternut squash” in lieu of regular or sweet potatoes. I’ve made my ground turkey and ground chicken flavored more like beef or lamb by using Low-Sodium Beef Bouillon and eliminating the salt. Thought I would share my “switch-out” ideas with you so that you too might try them. Thanks for all the great recipes you share. I look forward to them in my email box several times a week.
Alisha Hughes says
Great ideas Diana! I love all of those ideas. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂