Slow-Cooker Shepherd's Pie
By Joe GitterPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high
Yield
Serves 6
Slow cooker size
5 to 7 quarts
Ingredients
Filling
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces2 ½ cups chicken broth Salt and pepper 2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large2 onions, chopped fine4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces⅓ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons tomato paste 3 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup frozen peas, thawedTopping
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick½ cup warm half-and-half, plus extra as needed3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chivesBefore You Begin
You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. We prefer to make our own mashed potato topping; however, you can substitute 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes, if desired. Either way, be sure your mashed potatoes are warm and have a loose but not soupy texture; otherwise, they will be difficult to spread over the filling.
Instructions
- Mash bread, ¼ cup broth, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground beef and knead with hands until well combined.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of beef mixture and cook, breaking up meat into rough 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef mixture; transfer to slow cooker.
- Add mushrooms, onions, carrots, and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet. Cover and cook until vegetables are softened and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until vegetables are dry and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in flour, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in remaining 2¼ cups broth and Worcestershire, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
- Stir in peas and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, cover potatoes with 1 inch water in large saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, wipe saucepan dry, then return potatoes to now-empty pot.
- Mash potatoes thoroughly with potato masher. Fold in warm half-and-half, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Adjust consistency with extra warm half-and-half as needed until potatoes have a loose but not soupy texture. Transfer warm mashed potatoes to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and snip off bottom corner to make 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes evenly over filling, covering entire surface, and smooth with back of spoon. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
for the filling
for the topping
Time
6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on highYield
Serves 6Slow cooker size
5 to 7 quartsIngredients
Filling
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large
2 onions, chopped fine
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Topping
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup warm half-and-half, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large
2 onions, chopped fine
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Topping
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup warm half-and-half, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large
2 onions, chopped fine
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Topping
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup warm half-and-half, plus extra as needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Shepherd's pie is certainly a classic among hearty casseroles, but achieving the characteristic tender meat and rich flavors in the filling can be a challenge in the slow cooker. Browning the beef to develop flavor is standard in most traditional recipes, but in the slow cooker this produced overcooked, gritty meat. To fix this, we found that mixing the raw beef with a panade—a mixture of bread and milk, but here we use chicken broth—before browning worked wonders. Tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce also helped to add meaty flavor and richness. As for the mashed potato topping, we simply whipped up a batch of our favorite spuds and spread them evenly over the top just before serving.
Before You Begin
You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. We prefer to make our own mashed potato topping; however, you can substitute 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes, if desired. Either way, be sure your mashed potatoes are warm and have a loose but not soupy texture; otherwise, they will be difficult to spread over the filling.
Instructions
- Mash bread, ¼ cup broth, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground beef and knead with hands until well combined.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of beef mixture and cook, breaking up meat into rough 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef mixture; transfer to slow cooker.
- Add mushrooms, onions, carrots, and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet. Cover and cook until vegetables are softened and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until vegetables are dry and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in flour, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in remaining 2¼ cups broth and Worcestershire, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
- Stir in peas and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, cover potatoes with 1 inch water in large saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, wipe saucepan dry, then return potatoes to now-empty pot.
- Mash potatoes thoroughly with potato masher. Fold in warm half-and-half, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Adjust consistency with extra warm half-and-half as needed until potatoes have a loose but not soupy texture. Transfer warm mashed potatoes to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and snip off bottom corner to make 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes evenly over filling, covering entire surface, and smooth with back of spoon. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
for the filling
for the topping
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