You’d be hard-pressed to find a more comforting recipe than this all-in-one meal.
Southern Shepherd’s Pie
Makes 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chopped collard greens
- ½ cup diced sweet onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup sherry
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat, if necessary. Add flour; cook until lightly toasted. Add collards, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook until caramelized and deepened in color, 5 minutes more. Add sherry, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf; cook until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Pour vegetable mixture into prepared pan. Spread Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes on top to cover.
- Bake until hot and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with thyme, if desired.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, salt, and water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add half-and-half, butter, and cream cheese; using a potato masher or fork, mash potato mixture until combined and desired consistency.
