These individual shepherd’s pies in baked potatoes are a unique way to serve up and old British classic. Impress your company, or simply serve them for a weeknight comfort food meal!
One of the most sobering moments of my life was when I came to the realization that I would die before being able to make all of the recipes I wanted to try.
That may seem silly to a lot of people, but it hit me like a ton of (recipe) books!
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What is Shepherd’s Pie?
Shepherd’s herd sheep, so a shepherd’s pie is made with lamb and has no crust, but a mashed potato topping. If you make this dish using beef, it is called a cottage pie. No clue why that is!
It was years ago; I had been going through old cooking magazines and was overwhelmed at the amount of recipes that I was keeping. I wanted to try making all of the recipes at least once.
Did I narrow them down, throw some of the magazines away, or donate some of my cookbooks, you ask? Of course not, however, I must tell you that I am very, very happy when I eventually make something which I’ve been eyeing for years!
I saw a photo of these lovely Individual Shepherd’s* Pies in a “Women’s Weekly Cookery” Magazine (I guess it’s not for men!) which my Aunt Elvira gave me many years ago, and have wanted to make them since then.
Well, that day finally came, and I did it; of course I knew it would be simple, but I just LOVED the presentation, so I decided to post this as an idea for a Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s easy to make, can be prepared in advance and tastes delicious; what could be better?
Individual Shepherd’s Pies in Baked Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6
- 4 to 6 large baking potatoes, preferably from Idaho
- a little butter, salt and half & half (or milk)
- 1/2 recipe of Shepherd’s (Cottage) Pie meat filling
Bake the potatoes in a 375º F (190º C) oven for about 50 minutes or until cooked.
Remove from oven and scoop out the center, leaving a little potato as a shell.
Next, peel the skin from the top part of the potato which was cut out, and mash or rice the remaining potato with some butter, salt and half and half (or milk) to a creamy consistency.
Fill the potato shells with the prepared meat then add the potato on top. (To make the potatoes look the same as the ones in my photos, place the mashed potato in a piping bag with a large tip or you can just spoon the potatoes on top, and fluff them up with a fork).
Next, place the shepherd’s pies in baked potatoes in a baking dish or tray and bake in 375º F (190º C) oven for about 20 minutes. To brown the top, place under the broiler for a minute or two, but be careful as they will brown very quickly.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Serve your shepherd’s pies in baked potatoes immediately, but warn your diners that the filling will be extremely hot.
*Remember that authentic Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb; this is truly Cottage Pie, but most Americans wouldn’t know what Cottage Pie is, therefore, I’ve entitled it as the former.
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Individual Shepherd's Pies in Baked Potatoes
A cute and different way to serve Shepherd's Pie. Perfect for a weeknight meal, or even for company.
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 large baking potatoes
- a little butter
- half & half (or milk)
- salt
- 1/2 recipe of Shepherd’s (Cottage) Pie (see recipe on my blog)
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes in a 375º F (190º C) oven for about 50 minutes or until cooked.
- Remove from oven and scoop out the center leaving a little potato as a shell.
- Remove the skin from the top part of the potato which was cut out, and mash the remaining potato with some butter, salt and half and half (or milk) to a creamy consistency.
- Fill the potato shells with the prepared meat then add the potato on top. (To make the potatoes look the same as the ones in my photos, place the mashed potato in a piping bag with a large tip or you can just spoon the potatoes on top, and fluff them up with a fork.)
- Place the potatoes in a baking dish or tray and bake in 375º F (190º C) oven for about 20 minutes.
- To brown the top, if it's not as golden brown as you'd like, place under the broiler for a minute or two, but be careful as they will brown very quickly.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 266Total Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 13g
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I’m all over this idea, will definitely make it this week, might just add a wee bit of mature cheddar on top before I pop them under the grill.
Woo hoo!!
OMG – I never saw this post. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have enough time to even get through all of YOUR gorgeous recipes, Christina! I absolutely love baked potatoes but what an inspiration of piping out the filling as a topping! Absolutely genius. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
I feel the same about yours, Jill! We both have a LOT of recipes which we published before we knew each other. I wish this was my genius idea, but it’s not! It’s nice to share, though, right?! :) Thank you, Jill!
Wow! This is such a creative recipe. Beautiful too!
What a clever way to make this dish. Fun for entertaining too.
It really is a great way to serve a peasant dish in a bit more upscale way for guests, Maria! :)
Such a fun idea! Love that it’s in the potato!
It really is a fun way to serve them, kids especially love it!