Winter CSA Shepherd’s Pie
Most shepherd’s pie recipes lean on frozen carrots, corn, and peas, and while there is a place for frozen veggies, in my opinion shepherd’s pie isn’t one of them. My version instead features the produce that would show up in a winter CSA box- parsnips, carrots, turnips, and kale. The filling is rich and savory, classic with a twist, and the whole thing gets finished with a thick layer of sour cream mashed potatoes before baking until it’s warm and bubbly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is comfort food that fully embraces the winter season. The mix of winter roots gives a deeper, more complex dish than frozen vegetables ever could, and the kale keeps the filling from feeling too heavy. A splash of red wine vinegar gives the gravy acidity and brightness without needing to open up a bottle of wine, and the sour cream mashed potatoes bake up fluffy, tangy, and creamy. It’s hearty, practical, and exactly the kind of meal you want to warm up with on a cold winter day.
Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef. Technically speaking shepherd’s pie is only shepherd’s pie when made with ground lamb. Beef or turkey would be called cottage pie. But for our purposes, you could use ground lamb, beef, or turkey here.
Root Vegetables. Use what you have whether its parsnips, rutabaga, carrots, purple topped turnips, celeriac or a mix. Just be sure to cut them into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly. I used 3 small carrots, 1 parsnip, and 1 small purple topped turnip.
Kale. Adds color and nutrients while keeping the filling from feeling too heavy. Any type of kale would work well here but I prefer curly kale or red russian kale for their added texture.
Tomato Paste. Adds depth and richness to the gravy.
Beef Stock. I love Better Than Bouillon and use their roasted beef stock here.
Red Wine Vinegar. A splash at the end brightens everything up.
Potatoes. Russet potatoes are my choice for fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes. Shepherd’s Pie is rustic food so I never peel my potatoes and don’t mind a few lumps in my mash.
Sour Cream. Makes the mashed potatoes addictively tangy.
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Cut the vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly
- Brown the meat well before adding the vegetables for better flavor
- Let the filling simmer until thick
- Add the vinegar at the end of the gravy
- Bake until the edges are bubbling and the top is lightly golden
Equipment Needed
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2 Quart Rectangular Baking Pan or 3 Quart Baking Pan — see the notes section of the recipe for more on pan sizes to use
More Winter Recipes You’ll Love
Cripsy Chicken Salad with Winter Greens and Citrus
Brothy Butter Beans with Leeks and Spinach
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Winter CSA Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef (80% or 85% lean)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 c root veggies chopped into ½" pieces I used 3 small carrots, 1 parsnips, 1 small purple topped turnip
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 c beef broth
- ½ -¾ c water
- ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ bunch kale stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 lb russet potatoes peel (if desired) and diced into 1" pieces
- 1 tsp salt plus more for water
- ⅓ c milk
- 1/3 c sour cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Place a 3 qt baking dish on top of a baking sheet pan and set aside.
Make the Filling
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large, deep pan. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it's cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes,
- Add the onion and cook another 3 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and ½ tsp salt. Cook for 2 min to soften the vegetables.
- Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring for 1 minute. The flour will form a film over the bottom of the pan and its contents. Add the beef broth, ½ c water, tomato paste, and worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook another 5 minutes, if the gravy gets too thick, add the remaining ¼ c of water (or more if needed). Turn off the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar and a hefty sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Pour into baking dish.
Make the Mashed Potatoes
- Add the diced potatoes to a large pot of well salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and then return them to the pot.
- Add the butter, milk, sour cream, a few cranks of black pepper, and 1 tsp salt to the potatoes and start mashing until smooth (or smooth enough for your liking). Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to taste.
Assemble and Bake
- Pour the filling into the baking pan. Top with the potatoes, and spread them out evenly over the top. Top with a sprinkle of salt and more black pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until it is bubbling and the potatoes are starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes before serving.