Mini Shepherd's Pot Pies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

Classic shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, gravy, mashed potatoes, and veggies like peas, corn, celery, and carrots. Why is my shepherd's pie soggy? Avoid a soggy pie by simmering the meat mixture for at least 8 minutes. Be sure to cook down the mixture to remove excess moisture.

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

Thicken the filling

The concentrated tomatoes disperse and lightly thicken the beef stock. The flour is stirred with the meat and then swells and reduces as the liquid simmers. These add body to the dish, so it's not runny when served.

I like to use my beloved metal-handled Scanpan Chef's pan to make my shepherds pie. It is the perfect size for this recipe and reduces my dish washing as I cook the meat in the pan then put the mashed potato on top and bake it in the same pan.

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

After cooking the beef, onion, and herbs, be sure to drain the grease out of the pan. Otherwise, you will find yourself with a greasy shepherd's pie.

Stir often to crumble, until cooked through and temperature reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.

After this, we cook the ground / mince meat – traditionally lamb but equally delicious made with beef – before adding flour (which thickens the sauce) and gravy flavourings (beef broth, tomato paste, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce and red wine which is optional).

Shepherd's Pie Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes: Use starchy potatoes (like russet or Yukon Gold) for the best mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes are also made with butter, onion, and Cheddar cheese. Vegetables: This shepherd's pie includes carrots and onions. Flour: All-purpose flour will thicken the beef gravy.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

And, by doing so, the humble shepherd's pie was born. Originally, the dish contained a pastry shell at the bottom, top, or both. Over time, this morphed into potato slices at the bottom and top of savory minced lamb meat, until it eventually became a topping of mashed potatoes.

Freshly baked shepherd's pie will keep for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

The pie dough is too dry!

The butter should stay firm so it doesn't soften and combine with the flour. Wondering why can't you use a spoon? The trick here is to hydrate the flour with just enough water to get the dough to stick together.

You cooled the pie too quickly

The thermal shock of a pie going from a hot oven to the fridge can rapidly contract the egg proteins and just like overbaking, this will split the filling. To avoid this, make sure to allow your pie to cool down completely before chilling.

Use butter, not shortening

Pie crust made entirely with shortening will produce pie with a wonderfully crisp crimped edge, but also — potentially — a gap beneath the top crust. A pie crust based on butter is less likely to make a gap in pie than one made with shortening.

A pumpkin or custard pie filling separates from the crust due to shrinkage. This is a normal part of the cooling process. The fact is, all baked goods shrink as they cool due to the evaporation of moisture during baking. In a pie, the filling and crust are shrinking in opposite directions.