Shepherd’s Pie

This gourmet dish is best when prepared with pasture-raised Katahdin spring lamb. Katahdin lamb meat is mild in flavor because of it being a hair breed rather than a wool breed. This meat has been compared to other lamb in blind taste tests and has consistently been selected as better tasting, mild, juicy, and more tender than other contenders. This dish is loaded with nutrients and a real crowd pleaser!

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 45 minutes   Cook Time: 4 hours, including roasting lamb  

Ingredients

1 cup peeled, sliced carrots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup frozen corn
4 cups diced, roasted leg of lamb w/rosemary (about a 4lb roast, ½ leg)
salt and pepper
2 cups gravy (made from pan drippings or canned)
3 cups thick mashed potatoes (optional: add 3 cloves pressed garlic)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Prepare your lamb meat according to your favorite recipe. Rosemary, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper are my preferred seasonings for roasting leg of lamb.

Cook potatoes and mash. Set aside.

Place carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, onion, peas, and corn in a large saucepan. Barely cover with water; cook until fork-tender. Drain.

In a large casserole (or 2 medium ones), layer the diced lamb and vegetables. Pour gravy over layers. Salt and pepper as desired. Stir a little to mix if necessary.

Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mound potatoes over top of casserole with a spoon. Spread out and run a knife through the potatoes to make a checkerboard design. Beat egg and milk together; brush potatoes with mixture. Return to oven; bake 20 minutes. Turn on broiler unit; place casserole dish under the broiler until the potatoes are lightly browned. Serve hot.

Categories: Casserole, Crowd-Size, Gourmet, Holiday, Lamb, Main Dish, One Dish Meal

Tags: Greek

Submitted by: ruthmartin on January 17, 2011