Rancher's Pie
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Recipe Intro From FiveMarysFarms
Shepherd's pie, cottage pie, rachers pie - they are all pretty similar in that they have a savory meat filling and lots of fluffy mashed potatoes corwning the top, and they are baked until bubbling and crispy brown. Traditionally shepherd's pie uses ground lamb, and it was a dish my Irish grandmother loved. Cottage pie is more of an English variation that uses beef. I call my version rancher's pie because I use whatever I have on hand, beef or lamb, but ground beef is my go-to. It's the perfect hearty dinner when temperatures start to drop in the evenings and you need something cozy and filling to warm you up. The mashed potatoes double as a fantastic side.
Recipe: ©2020 by Mary Heffernan. Excerpted from Five Marys Ranch Raised Cookbook by permission of Sasquatch Books.
Photo Credit: Charity Burggraaf
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Recipe Card
For the mashed potatoes
ingredients
- 2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the mashed potatoes
Method
Step 1
To make the mashed potatoes, in a large saucepan filled with cold salted water, add the potatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return the potatoes to the saucepan. Add the milk and butter, and mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Season with salt, then cover to keep warm.
For the filling
ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
- 1 cup low-sodium beef stock
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup frozen petite peas
Making the rancher's pie
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 2
To make the filling, in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with high sides over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables become tender and start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in 3/4 cup stock, the tomato paste, and Worcestershire. Season generously with salt and pepper. If the mixture is dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the peas. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Top the beef mixture with dollops of warm mashed potatoes, then spread it into a thick, even layer. Draw the tines of a fork through the potatoes in a crosshatch to create ridges. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Step 4
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.