Traditional homemade Shepherd's Pie has a rich flavourful filling of ground lamb, chicken or turkey and veggies, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes. Perfect for chilly days or for St. Patrick's Day!
Begin by preparing the mashed potato topping. Peel and cut potatoes into similarly sized pieces. Add to a large pot of cold water. Add 1 clove of garlic and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 - 12 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
Drain, then return the pot to the burner on low heat to dry the potatoes a little. Remove from the stove and mash until only a few lumps remain. Be careful not to overmash, or the potatoes may become gummy.
Meanwhile, while the potatoes are boiling, in a small saucepan on the stovetop (or in a glass bowl in the microwave) heat the butter, milk and a teaspoon of salt, just until the butter has melted.
Using a spatula, gently stir this butter mixture into the mashed potatoes a little at a time, then add the cream cheese and fold it in as well. Avoid overmixing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set the potatoes aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula until crumbled and cooked through. Remove it to a bowl.
Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the skillet and cook in the remaining fat from the ground meat (or add a little oil if necessary) until the vegetables are softened.
Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the tomato paste and stir, then add the red wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the skillet.
Add the stock or broth, bay leaf, dried thyme and rosemary and stir until well combined. Let it simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.
Stir in the frozen peas. They will defrost quickly in the hot mixture. If you add them too early, they lose their bright green colour.Add the ground meat back into the skillet and stir.
Now layer it up! Spread the filling evenly in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, then top with the mashed potatoes, spreading them evenly to the edges of the dish. Brush with a little melted butter.
Bake at 400°F. for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to brown and the filling is bubbling up around the edges. Move the dish up to a higher rack in your oven and broil for 3 - 4 minutes to brown the top a little, if you'd like.
Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve!