Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds 93 percent lean ground beef 3 tablespoons water Salt and pepper ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted½ cup milk 1 large egg yolk 8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port 1 ¼ cups beef broth 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 carrots, peeled and chopped4 teaspoons cornstarch
Before You Begin
Don’t use ground beef that’s less than 93 percent lean or the dish will be greasy. You will need a 10-inch broiler-safe skillet for this recipe.
Instructions
- Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until moisture has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through cooking. Stir cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water together, then stir mixture into filling and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off a corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 ½ pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
1 ¼ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
1 ¼ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 large egg yolk
8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
1 ¼ cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Why This Recipe Works
Making the recipe from start to finish in a skillet kept it streamlined, and swapping in ground beef for the usual chunks of meat saved us from a lengthy braising time. To keep the meat tender, we knew from experience it would help to toss it with baking soda and water and then let it rest briefly (a trick we also used with our Gluten-Free Penne with Weeknight Meat Sauce). In lieu of flour for thickening power, we turned to cornstarch. Combining it with a little water to make a slurry kept it from clumping and ensured that it dispersed evenly in the gravy.
Before You Begin
Don’t use ground beef that’s less than 93 percent lean or the dish will be greasy. You will need a 10-inch broiler-safe skillet for this recipe.
Instructions
- Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until moisture has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
- Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through cooking. Stir cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water together, then stir mixture into filling and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off a corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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