Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes
One of my favorite things to do is to take a classic dish and turn it upside-down, so to speak. Convert it into something that we haven’t really thought about before, but once we do we’re like “why didn’t I think of that?” Or “why didn’t I think of that sooner!” Mashing together two recipes and creating one mega super awesome dish is one of the things I live for. They’re my favorite types of recipes on this blog, and they’re the ones I look forward to the most. These Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes are no exception.
These would be great as a light dinner with a simple green salad on the side, or as an easy weekend lunch. You could also make them much smaller and serve them as an appetizer or snack for parties or holiday gatherings! Either way, I think you should definitely make them as soon as possible.
Shepherd’s Pie Twice Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Skillet
- Potato masher
- Piping bag and tip
Ingredients
Filling:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium leek finely sliced
- 1 celery rib diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3 medium cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 3/4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
Baked Potatoes:
- 8 large Russet potatoes rinsed
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- chives or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 435°F.
- Place potatoes on baking sheet and rub with olive oil and salt. Bake until fork tender about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- For the filling, set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and begin breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrots, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and paprika, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and carrots start to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir constantly until the mixture darkens and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and bring to a boil, still over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and spread out the vegetables evenly. Add the beef in small portions on top of the vegetables. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly to break up any large clumps.
- Whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the beef. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in the peas and remove the skillet from the heat. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The filling can be made ahead and stored in the fridge till needed. Return to room temperature before assembling.
- Once potatoes have cooled, scoop out the filling and place in a bowl. Add the butter, milk, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese. Blend with a fork until combined.
- Place the potato shells onto a baking sheet. Fill with the meat mixture and then top with the mashed potatoes. Bake in 375°F oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Top with chives, parsley or thyme. Serve and enjoy!
