Cinzia's Shepherd's Pie

108 Reviews
90% would make this recipe again

Ground beef, onions, mushrooms, and peas, covered with mashed potatoes, and baked until golden.

Originally created in England to use up leftovers from the Sunday roast by adding any readily available vegetable, «shepherd's pie» found a new life in North America where corn was soon added to the basic recipe. In French Canada it is known as «China Pie», either because the cooks of the railway companies, who were making such a cheap dish, were all Chinese, or because some Québécois workers having eaten this meal in a city named China, Maine, brought the recipe back home towards the middle of the 19th century.

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Preparation : 25 min Cooking : 30 min
380 calories/serving

Ingredients

5 potatoes, peeled then halved 1 kg
1 1/2 onions, finely chopped 300 g
16 button (white) mushrooms, thinly sliced 220 g
2 tbsp olive oil 30 mL
500 g ground beef, extra-lean, or lean
3/4 cup canned tomatoes (diced) 200 g
2 tbsp tomato paste 35 g
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 15 mL
1 cup beef broth 250 mL
1 cup frozen peas 120 g
1 cup milk, partly skimmed, 2% 250 mL
2 tbsp butter, unsalted 28 g
ground pepper to taste [optional]
1 pinch salt [optional] 0.2 g

Before you start

For individual pies, choose baking dishes which contain about 375 ml or 1 ½ cups when 3/4 full.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 205°C/400°F.
  2. Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the onion; thinly slice the mushrooms; peel the potatoes, cut them in half then boil them 20-25 min until very tender. Drain them well and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and sear it until it looses its red colour, about 4-5 min, then break it up with a fork. In order to brown the meat, it is important not to stir it at the beginning, otherwise it will release its juices and will «boil» rather than brown.
  4. When the meat is golden-coloured, add the chopped onion then cook 2 min with stirring. Stir in the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and broth. Add the frozen peas and continue cooking until heated through, about 4-5 min. Add salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the contents to one large baking dish, or distribute it into individual baking dishes.
  5. Pour the milk into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the butter and microwave on medium-high a few minutes, uncovered, until very hot. Add the cooked potatoes and mash the mixture until it is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place a spoonful of the potato mixture on top of the beef mixture, then gently spread it with a spoon to cover evenly.
  6. Bake in the middle of the oven until the top is golden-brown, about 30 min. Serve.

Observations

The pies can be frozen right after having been covered with the mashed potatoes and individually wrapped. They can be baked (taken directly from the freezer) for about 50 min at 205°C/400°F.

Nutrition Facts Table

per 1 serving (400 g)

Amount

% Daily Value

Calories

380

Fat

14 g

21 %

Saturated 5.7 g
+ Trans 0.4 g

30 %

Cholesterol

60 mg

Sodium

260 mg

11 %

Carbohydrate

41 g

14 %

Fibre

4 g

16 %

Sugars

8 g

Net Carbs

37 g

Protein

24 g

Vitamin A

35 %

Vitamin C

34 %

Calcium

9 %

Iron

22 %
More info

DIABETES Exchange

1 serving of this recipe is equivalent to :
Food Group Exchanges
Starches 2
Vegetables 1 ½
Milk and Alternatives 0
Meat and Alternatives 2
Fats 2 ½
More info
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Reviews

108 Reviews (103 with rating only) 90% would make this recipe again
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My Notes

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  • I replaced oregano by rosemary and it turned out great
  • use my large pan with the copper bottom
  • leave under the grill 3 minutes instead of 1 to get a golden crust

This recipe is in the following categories

Beef | Vegetables | Main courses/Entrées | High Iron | Bake | Canadian

Top Reviews

View All Reviews
Anonyme
october 20, 2021

Another much simpler explanation for the French Canadian name "Paté chinois" (Chinese pie) is that the name is a deformation of Shepherd's Pie. A traditional Quebec dish, cipaille is another deformation. Its original name is Sea Pie, a British naval dish using various meats (no fish)

Useful 1
Anonyme
october 20, 2021 | I would make this recipe again

This was yummy, although a little runny. My potatoes were a bit on the small side so I used a couple of extras, but when I added the milk&butter mixture, I should have done it gradually because it became more soupy than creamy. Still, the whole "pie" solidified somewhat during the baking period, so it turned out okay. Liked the combination of flavours, especially the mushroom bits - which is exactly why my five-year-old didn't eat it. :)

Useful 1
april 17, 2010 | I would make this recipe again

I like this recipe a lot, particularly because it is easy to make a bigger quantity and freeze without it losing the taste. Great to just pop it in the oven in those winter evenings when you just feel like curling up under your blanket and watching TV!

Useful 1

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