Mini Shepherd's Pie-So Good!

Sharon123's Note:

A great recipe from Aaron McCargo on Big Daddys' House. On Food Network, this recipe has 52 outstanding reviews! You can sub turkey or even veggie crumbles for the ground beef! Kids can help make this dish and have fun doing it! This can also be made in a 9x13" pan. This is good frozen and microwaved. Great to take in your lunch bag, to a picnic, or to a tailgate party! Enjoy! A little history: The key to dating Shepherd's pie is the introduction (and acceptance) of potatoes in England. Potatoes are a new world food. They were first introduced to Europe in 1520 by the Spanish. Potatoes did not appeal to the British palate until the 18th Century. (Foods America Gave the World, A. Hyatt Verrill, page 28). Shepherd's Pie, a dish of minced meat (usually lamb, when made with beef it is called "Cottage Pie") topped with mashed potatoes was probably invented sometime in the 18th Century by frugal peasant housewives looking for creative ways to serve leftover meat to their families. It is generally agreed that it originated in the north of England and Scotland where there are large numbers of sheep--hence the name. The actual phrase "Shepherd's Pie" dates back to the 1870s, when mincing machines made the shredding of meat easy and popular."

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 12 mini pies

• cooking spray
• 1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits (The flakey are good or Grands)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef (chuck or ground turkey or chicken or veggie crumbles)
• ½ onion , minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ½-1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup beef stock (or chicken or turkey or vegetable)
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaf
• 1 ½ cups leftover mashed potatoes (or use instant or storebought in a pinch)
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside. You will probably need to smash them down with the back of a spoon.
3. Heat the 2 tbls. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
4. Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
5. Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.
6. Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar cheese.
7. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Kyene]

So yummy! Very excited to find something new to make with the same ol' ground beef. The fiance' suggest cornbread instead of biscuits and I think he might be on to something. I wished there was maybe a light sauce or gravy or something to go with them. I ended up using a small amount of Ketchup and Mustard on mine, without overcoming their flavors. Overall, very good. Thanks!

[StacyMD187373]

These made a pretty good little dinner. I had filling leftover, but my muffin tins are ancient, so the size may be a little different. (Also, probably overdid it with the veggies--just pulled some from each of the bags of veggies in the freezer.) I used leftover mashed potatoes which were already pretty seasoned with garlic and a little oversalted to begin with, so didn't add the garlic or onion powder to the potatoes. Have half in the freezer to take for lunches. The other leftovers reheated pretty well. Thanks for posting! Made for Zaar Cookbook tag. FYI: These do freeze pretty well; easy to take out for lunches to be reheated.

[SarasotaCook]

Now I HATE for the most part shepherds pie, however this looked very interesting and I love a unique approach. These were really really good and I will definitely make them again. A nice twist on a classic, but so much better.