shepherd pie

can i use beef instead of lamb. METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 200°C.

Start by heating the oil in a largish frying-pan till very hot, add the onion, carrot and swede and cook them for about 5 minutes, keeping the heat high, to colour a bit at the edges, stirring them around. After that, combine the vegetables with the minced lamb, thyme, cinnamon and some seasoning and transfer the whole lot to an 18cm square baking dish (or similar).

Next, arrange the potato discs on top, slightly overlapping. The leeks should be cut vertically to halfway down and fanned out under cold, running water to remove any dirt, then sliced through to the bottom, then across very finely. Sprinkle the leeks all over the potato and follow that with the grated Cheddar.

Then put it into the oven for 35-40 minutes, till the top is crusty and golden.Let it settle for about 10 minutes before serving – a bag of ready-shredded spring greens would go down a treat with this. Note: for cottage pie, a 400g tin of M&S minced beef is every bit as good. If you use ready-prepared swede and carrot from elsewhere, it may be in larger chunks, which need to be chopped a bit smaller in the mini-chopper.

INGREDIENTS
400g tin minced lamb (M&S) - see intro
1 largish onion, peeled, quartered and chopped in a mini chopper, or 4 tablespoons frozen diced onions
175g ready-prepared diced mixed carrot and swede (Tesco) see intro
1 dessertspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the topping
about 16 discs Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle frozen mashed potato - see intro
2 medium leeks, trimmed (use the white parts only)
3 heaped tablespoons ready-grated mature Cheddar

Yep, I never use lamb in shepherd's pie.....

You might want to look for recipe that uses beef though to adjust the seasoning....Cinnamon is good with lamb (I hear) but I'm not so sure with beef

Edit: Here is a link to one Shepherd's pie with beef

thank you very much.

family - it says at the bottom of the instructions that you can use beef instead of lamb.

I think cinnamon goes just fine with beef.

But what the heck is swede? And frozen mashed potato discs??

i will google them , it is Rutabaga, frozen mashed potatoes.

Thanks family. I guess I should have googled swede myself.

I don't eat mashed potatoes but what I am questioning on those is, they come in discs? Like patties or something?

no, just regular mashed potatoes.

I get frozen mashed potatoe discs from Schwan's. They're frozen disc shaped pieces of mashed potatoe that cook in the microwave. Then mash, add, butter, and milk and cook in microwave for about another minute. These are made of real mashed potatoes. So easy to make either a single serving or more.

family: This recipe uses different measurements and temperatures than we use in the U.S. This might be a bit more challenging than you think. looney's recipe might be a better choice.

I see that this is an English recipe. For the tin of meat it says (M&S), which stands for Marks & Spencer, and Aunt Bessie's is a very old brand in England.

I always use fresh lean ground beef in my shepherd pies, or when I lived in England, minced beef which is the same thing!

Yes. I noticed that too. Might not be something family would want to try.

Thanks Sparkle.

i am going to try l4l recipe.

Here in the U.K. Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb.

If it's made with beef, however, it's called Cottage Pie.

Cottage Pie...thanks, Mad

Where did you get this recipe, family? Have you been watching BBC?

delia, cooper gave me the site, i am going to use this one .Kim's Lazy Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
Ground beef
Chopped Onion
Cooking oil
Instant Mashed Potatoes (in the bag, not the boxed kind)
Canned or Frozen Corn, Peas, and/or Carrots
Butter and or shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
Fry onion in oil over medium heat
Add ground beef and stir until browned
Add veggies and stir until warm
Meanwhile, prepare mashed potatoes
2 possibilities:
In a hurry? Serve and eat.
Baking steps:
Assemble in baking dish with potato on top
Sprinkle with butter and/or cheese
Bake at 350 F until brown and crispy