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Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie

A casserole of browned ground beef topped with mashed potatoes and optional cheese, baked or microwaved.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Potato and garlic are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,517 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Quick and Easy Shepherd's Pie

Oven350°F
Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the potatoes

  1. Prepare instant potatoes according to the package.

  2. Peel whole potatoes and cut them into 1" cubes.

  3. Boil the cubes until ready to mash.

  4. Mash the potatoes until soft and the cubes crumble when poked with a fork.

  5. Add salt, butter, and milk to the mashed potatoes.

  6. Add pepper and garlic powder to the potatoes.

Make the beef layer

  1. Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a large frying pan.

  2. Drain most of the fat from the browned beef.

  3. Mix flour and cold water in an 8‑ounce cup until blended.

  4. Stir the flour mixture into the drained beef over low heat, coating evenly.

Assemble and bake

  1. Spread the beef mixture evenly in a 9" glass casserole dish or cake pan.

  2. Drain the corn or peas and layer them on top of the beef.

  3. Spread the mashed potatoes over the pea layer.

  4. Sprinkle cheese on top, if desired.

  5. Cook in a microwave on high for 5 minutes or bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1489Calories
76 gProtein
54 gFat
176 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Corn1/2 cup kernels (82g)77
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Potato + garlictop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,517 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Potato + corntop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together938 recipes

    Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).

  3. Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,090 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Potato + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together932 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Beef + potatotop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,052 recipes

    Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Forms the savoury, meaty base layer of the pie.
Potatoes
Form the mashed topping, giving a soft, fluffy crust when cooked.
All-purpose flour
Thickens the drained meat juices so the beef layer holds together.
Butter or margarine
Adds fat and richness to the mashed potatoes.
Milk
Adds moisture and softness to the mashed potatoes.
Cheddar or parmesan cheese
Melts over the top and adds savoury flavour and light browning.

The step that matters

Stirring the flour mixture into the beef. Flour must be fully blended in cold water first and stirred over low heat so it thickens evenly without lumps, keeping the beef layer from becoming watery under the potatoes.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, potato, corn, pepper, flour, cheddar cheese, butter):

  1. Parsleyfits about as well
  2. Thymefits about as well
  3. Celeryfits about as well
  4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, potato, corn, pepper, flour, cheddar cheese, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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