Shepherd's pie recipe

Silaqui

Hi everyone and thanks for all the replies! General consensus seems to be mainly hold off on the gravy so I shall give that a go next time! Thanks!
x

Pink.

Hi Silaqui,

To make sure the mash sits on top rather than sinks in, I thicken the mince and gravy mix with a little cornflour mixed in cold water. You need to add the cornflour gently and stir it in well. Pour the mince mix into an oven proof dish and leave it to cool. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes. Mash them but add less milk or butter than you normally would so they're less 'sloppy' (they'll absorb the juices from the mince when cooking in the oven so won't be too dry). Use a dessert spoon to put small blobs of potato all over the top of the pie, then spread the 'blobs' into one another to form a topping, making sure that the egdes are well sealed to stop the juices from the meat spilling onto the top of the pie.

There are more suggestions on this thread: Shepherd's pie recipe

I'll add your thread to it later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

zippychick

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi Silaqui,

To make sure the mash sits on top rather than sinks in, I thicken the mince and gravy mix with a little cornflour mixed in cold water. You need to add the cornflour gently and stir it in well. Pour the mince mix into an oven proof dish and leave it to cool. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes. Mash them but add less milk or butter than you normally would so they're less 'sloppy' (they'll absorb the juices from the mince when cooking in the oven so won't be too dry). Use a dessert spoon to put small blobs of potato all over the top of the pie, then spread the 'blobs' into one another to form a topping, making sure that the egdes are well sealed to stop the juices from the meat spilling onto the top of the pie.

There are more suggestions on this thread: Shepherd's pie recipe

I'll add your thread to it later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

Do you take if off the heat when adding the cornflour paste to the gravy

Silaqui

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi Silaqui,

To make sure the mash sits on top rather than sinks in, I thicken the mince and gravy mix with a little cornflour mixed in cold water. You need to add the cornflour gently and stir it in well. Pour the mince mix into an oven proof dish and leave it to cool. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes. Mash them but add less milk or butter than you normally would so they're less 'sloppy' (they'll absorb the juices from the mince when cooking in the oven so won't be too dry). Use a dessert spoon to put small blobs of potato all over the top of the pie, then spread the 'blobs' into one another to form a topping, making sure that the egdes are well sealed to stop the juices from the meat spilling onto the top of the pie.

There are more suggestions on this thread: Shepherd's pie recipe

I'll add your thread to it later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

The underlined is exactly what I do! But it seems to take ages and I thought there would be some magically quicker way to do it or make the mash 'lighter'!

Thanks for all replies
x

sarahsarah

Hello, I was just wondering if it was possible to put mince straight into the oven dish when making a shepherd's pie?
I am trying to stick to meals that involve as little washing up as possible and cutting out the frying pan would be a big help!

Linda32

I expect you will get a variety of answers, but I personally wouldn't.

What I would do though, and do do, is make the mince mixture in bulk.
Have to saucepans on the go as once, and fry in a saucepan. That way you get more at one session and can freeze the mince mixture in portions for next time.

So one lot of washing up in the first instance. Next time, then you can just put the mixture straigh into oven dish.

BitterAndTwisted

I expect you can put the meat straight into the oven but frying it off first with some onions/celery whatever makes a huge difference to the flavour. I wouldn't willingly sabotage a decent meal for the sake of a frying-pan.

Barneysmom

I got one of these......

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.830950.cm_scid.KeywordSearch

It makes life much easier as you can do all the doings on top then put the mash on and brown the top in the oven too.

Makes great cakes too

spendingmad

I fry my mince in a pan add onions and carrot to same pan along with gravy/water then use a steamer and lid to steam the potatoes for the mash. Once mince and potatoes are cooked through transfer mince to dish, quick rinse pan and then mash the spuds in the pan. Finish under grill

Thats the least washing up way I have found. Also bear in mind the cost of heating your oven for such a long time to cook the mince.

ChocClare

If you have a cast iron casserole dish you can cook it on the hob in that and then stick it straight in the oven.