Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins
Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins
Ingredients- 250 g / 8 oz lamb or beef mince (ground meat)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion (brown, white or yellow), diced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (pea, corn, carrots) (or fresh)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup beef stock/broth (or 1 stock / bouillon cube dissolved in hot water)
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper
POTATOES AND MASH
- 4 large potatoes , scrubbed clean (about 400g/13oz each)
- ½ to 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
- 2 tbsp butter (optional – but highly recommended)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
PREPARE THE POTATOES AND MASH
- Prick the potatoes with a fork (about 6 times on each potato) and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Then turn and microwave for a further 5 minutes.
- Pierce with a knife to check if they are cooked.
- Remove from microwave (use a dish cloth).
- Cut off the tops and scoop out the center using a spoon, leaving a fairly thin skin (about 0.5 cm / 0.2”).
- Place the potato scooped out in a bowl.
- Add milk, butter and salt and mash with a potato masher until smooth, or to your liking.
- If you want to pipe the filling, place the mashed potato into a piping back with a large star tip nozzle.
FILLING
- Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Turn up heat to high.
- Add mince beef (ground beef) and cook, breaking up the mince as you go, until nicely browned and cooked – about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle over flour and stir to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bring to simmer and continue to stir until the sauce is thick and glossy – around 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
ASSEMBLE POTATOES
- Fill each potato with the Filling so it is slightly heaped.
- Push down lightly to pack the filling in well.
- Pipe over the mashed potato, or scoop it on with a spoon then fluff it up with a fork.
- You probably won’t use all of it – save the remainder or serve it on the side.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the mashed potato is starting to brown on the ridges
- Enjoy!