Selena Robins, Author

Shepherd’s Pie – Italian Style

Shepherd’s pie is a traditional stick-to-your-ribs meal. I’ve put an Italian twist to this classic dish.

Marrying Italian sausage with mashed potatoes is an English/Italian coupling that delivers a delectable, tangy, hearty, and comforting experience for your taste buds.

Ingredients:

Directions:

3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup buttermilk
3 TBSP butter
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound mild, bulk Italian sausage
3 TBSP oil
2 pounds Portobello (or any type you like) mushrooms, cubed
2 cups zucchini (or yellow summer squash), thinly sliced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 TBSP, fresh basil, finely chopped
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/4 cup broth (vegetable, beef, or chicken)
1/2 cup, Parmigiano, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a good amount of salt (water should taste like a well-seasoned soup) then add your potatoes, and cook until tender.

Drain potatoes, then return potatoes to the pot, add buttermilk and butter, and mash until smooth. (Have a taste and add more salt if needed) and then set the pot of potatoes aside.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain well on paper towels.

In the same skillet, heat oil on medium-high, and then add the mushrooms.

Note: make sure not to overcrowd the mushrooms, and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To the mushroom pan, add: onion, parsley, and season with 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of black pepper, and cook for 10 minutes.

Next: stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, and zucchini and cook for 1 minute.

Sprinkle flour over this mixture, stirring to coat all the vegetables, and let cook for 3 minutes.

Add broth and stir for 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off and sprinkle in the basil.

In a casserole dish, spoon the meat mixture, then spoon the vegetables over the meat.

Top with the mashed potatoes in an even layer. (If you want, you could add a few dollops of butter on top of the mashed potatoes.)

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, and sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan cheese, turn the broiler on and broil for 5 minutes.

For another twist on the classic Shepherd’s Pie, click here to check out Jasmine Aziz’s version of her mom’s Shepherd’s Pie with an Indian twist.