This is a comfort food classic which has been a staple in our house ever since our first son was born! I think when he was born we received at least 4 Shepherd’s pies. I can understand though, we did name our son Shepherd! Ha!
We have made this so many times since then that we have developed our own take on it. Often just done by memory now! But we wrote it down so you can use it too.
Of course, bison meat is a must for this Shepherd’s Pie. It is such an easy way to add protein to our meals. Bison meat is a great source of iron, protein, zinc, selenium and B vitamins too. All while remaining low in fat as well as calories and cholesterol.
Bison meat is also perfect addition to a Shepherd’s pie because of its leanness. Having a greasy Shepherd’s pie is one the biggest mistakes! With Bison meat it is easy to avoid that.
And, if you can, use bison stock with this recipe! Why not keep packing in the nutrition? Here’s a link to our favourite bison stock recipe .https://thehonestbison.com/bison-bone-broth-recipe/
With the thick and rich mixture of meat and vegetables and the creamy mashed potatoes this is sure to be a hit at your dinner table!
We had the expert Shepherd’s Pie eater, Shepherd, test this recipe and he approves!
We love this recipe and hope you do too! Can’t wait to hear and see how you enjoyed it!
David & Lia
BISON SHEPHERD'S PIE
Makes one 9x13
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
2 tb. olive oil, separated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 lb. ground bison
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tb. tomato paste
2 cups bison stock - can use beef stock
1 tb. worcestershire sauce
1 tb. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
Mashed Potatoes:
2.5 lbs of potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup of milk (warmed)
3 tbsp of butter
1.5 tsp salt, separated
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepot over medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add carrots and celery and cook until soft.
2. Increase heat to medium high and add ground bison, breaking it up, and cook until browned through.
3. Add flour and cook a bit to cook off flour taste. Then add frozen peas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bison stock, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, salt, pepper and 2 bay leaves. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium. Cook for 30-35 min. stirring every 5 minutes or so until you have a good, thickened gravy. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. For mashed potatoes, bring pot of water with 1 tsp of salt to a boil. Add potatoes. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes - until potatoes are tender. Drain the water from the pot. Add milk and butter. You can stir or use a hand blender to make your potatoes smooth. I prefer a hand blender to get whipped potatoes which are easy to spread. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Set potatoes aside until ready to assemble the pie.
6. Once ready to assemble the pie add your meat and vegetable mixture to your 9x13 pan. Top with potatoes in an even layer. Drizzle the top with remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and edges are bubbling. Broil for 2-3 minutes on high to get your potato tops crispy! (mhmm my favourite!). Remove from heat, let cool for 5-10min. Garnish with fresh thyme as desired and enjoy!