Meat Lovers Shepherd's Pie With Venison
This recipe is a meat lovers dream featuring four types of meat. The meat and root vegetables filling are in a tasty gravy that's topped with a creamy cheesy potato crust. A dish that elicits yums after the first bite.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 766kcal
Ingredients
Shepherd's /Cottage Pie filling
- 1 ½ lbs ground venison
- 1 ½ lbs chuck roast cubes
- 1 lb smoked sausage like kielbasa or polish, sliced
- ½ lb bacon thick sliced, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 carrots large, peeled and sliced
- 6 celery stalks chopped using leaves
- 2 onions, large chopped
- 1 garlic bulb cloves cleaned and minced
- 1 Large Fennel bulb chopped
- 2 leeks - white and light green only cleaned and chopped
- 3 parsnips cleaned and chopped
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1 chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley bunch
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme may use dry (1 ½ tsp.)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (2 tsp. dried)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup full-bodied red wine -- like a Cabernet or Merlot
- ¼ cup Wondra Flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 quart Beef stock (may add more if you want it more like a stew)
- 1 tablespoon Lawry's Garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs Gold potatoes Yukon gold peeled and cut in ¾-inch chunks
- 5 large garlic cloves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 oz goat cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup green onions sliced green and white parts
Instructions
The Meat -Vegetable Filling
- Place the chopped bacon In a large Dutch oven and heat to medium high. Once you render the fat from the bacon, add the ground deer meat and beef to the large pot.
- Turn the heat up to high and cook the meat until it browns, breaking up the pieces as you go. Once the meat is brown remove it from the pot and place the meat in a large bowl.
- Pour the olive oil into the pot and heat on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize about 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.
- Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, Lawry's Garlic Salt, fresh ground pepper and the browned meat with any juices that are on the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the ½ cup red wine and mix well.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and meat and mix well. (See note about thickness of sauce.)
- Add in the beef stock. Mix in the herbs and smoked sausage. Cook over medium low heat for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally. If it gets too thick add a bit more broth. If it's too think add more of the Wondra to it. Be sure to taste for seasoning - you may add more if you like.
- When the filling is done spoon it into a large oven proof dish. Set the dish on a baking sheet just in case it bubbles over.
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Place the potatoes, garlic and 1 Tablespoon salt in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.
- Drain the potatoes and garlic and allow them to steam-dry for a few minutes back in the hot pan. Process them together through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade set on top of a bowl.
- While the potatoes are still hot, stir in the goat cheese, butter, sour cream, whole milk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Add the green onions. Taste for seasoning -- add more if needed.
- Keep warm until ready to spread on top of shepherd's pie.
Assemble Pie
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- Spread the warm mashed potatoes on top of the filling making sure it covers it completely. Use a fork to make rough ridges on the crust. This will make for some crisp edges.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden on top and the filling is bubbling.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with fresh rosemary or thyme leaves.
Notes
CHEF NOTES:
- Add the vegetables you like. Since we think of this as a fall dish we like using root vegetables. Add peas, corn, whatever your family likes.
- You can add whatever meat you like. If you don't have venison add some more beef. Add ground turkey, chicken, sausage etc. Make it your way.
- Use Wondra flour for thickening the gravy. It mixes in instantly and is easy to use. The sauce or gravy is creamy and thick without clumps. I keep Wondra flour on hand specifically for thickening sauces and gravies. You can make your own by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon of corn starch, sifting through the flour twice.
- Be sure that the sauce is to you liking. If it's too thin the filling will be runny. Once you put the filling in the casserole and cover it with the potatoes, no steam will escape while baking to further reduce the gravy.
- Cool the filling so that when you put the potatoes on top they don't sink to the bottom and it makes spreading the potatoes on top easier.
- Be sure your potatoes aren't watery. It's always a good idea to put the drained potatoes back in the hot pan to dry off the spuds.
- Keep the mashed potatoes hot as you spread them over the cooled filling.
- Make ahead instructions: Assemble the cottage pie but don't bake it. Make sure the casserole is cool before covering it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and placing in refrigerator or freezer.
- Thaw the casserole completely. Remove the plastic wrap and foil then bake as in the recipe.
- Leftover casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. You may also freeze the leftovers and warm up in the oven until hot.
- Place the casserole or baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips that may come from the bubbly filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1490mg | Potassium: 1670mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4380IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 6mg