Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie 4.0 (504) 32 Reviews A little cheese finishes this favorite comfort food dinner in style. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Shepherd's pie is a much-loved comfort food, both in England, where it originated, and stateside. And if you’ve never made shepherd's pie with cheese before, this version laced with sharp cheddar will have your mouth watering. Our easy casserole fills a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, perfect for feeding a crowd. Be prepared for even kids and picky eaters to ask for second helpings! Onion, carrots, celery, and a generous two pounds of ground beef make up the hearty filling. Tomato paste deepens the umami flavor of the gravy, which thickens as the dish bakes. A fluffy blanket of cheesy mashed potatoes encloses the filling and comes out of the oven golden and crispy. 42 of Our Most Delicious Comfort Food Recipes Brie Goldman Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4), peeled and thinly sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced 1 large onion, chopped ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup tomato paste 2 pounds ground beef chuck 1 cup whole milk 1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar (6 ounces) Directions Brie Goldman Preheat oven and boil potatoes: Preheat oven to 450°F. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Brie Goldman Cook vegetables: Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Brie Goldman Add flour and tomato paste: Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Brie Goldman Add beef: Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Brie Goldman Drain and mash potatoes: Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper. Brie Goldman Brie Goldman Assemble pie: Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Brie Goldman Bake: Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Brie Goldman Ingredient Variations and Substitutions Enjoy the endless flexibility of this recipe and switch out the kinds of ground meat, vegetables, and aromatics in the ingredient list according to your mood and tastes. In Place of Ground Beef: Try ground lamb, turkey, or bison, or a plant-based ground meat substitute. In Place of Carrots and Celery: Add some variety with your desired combinations butternut squash, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, peas, spinach. Shepherd’s pie is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables or the odds and ends of your produce bin. Be mindful of how long each vegetable takes to cook. For firm ingredients like winter squash that require longer cooking, take care to cut them into thin pieces and saute until tender before adding the flour and tomato paste. For ingredients high in moisture like zucchini and tomatoes, saute them long enough to evaporate some of the liquid so you don’t end up with soggy, watery filling. For softer, more delicate ingredients like peas and spinach, mix them into the filling as the very last step before transferring it to the baking dish. Make Ahead Both the filling and topping can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble the pie just before cooking. You can also freeze the entire shepherd’s pie once assembled. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and store in the freezer up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before unwrapping and baking. Storing Leftovers If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, transfer them to a smaller dish and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. More Potato-Topped Pie Recipes to Try: Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie Potato-Mushroom Pie Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Sweet-Potato Shepherd's Pie Cottage Pie Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2008 Rate It PRINT Updated by Jennifer Anderson Jennifer Anderson Jennifer is a writer for MarthaStewart.com.