Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
Are you a fan of shepherd’s pie? Well, you will love this mushroom shepherd’s pie! It’s full of mushrooms, and ground meat (or vegetarian subs), and it’s topped with delicious brown butter potatoes. This healthy recipe is sure to please.
Have you noticed those mashed potatoes looking like a flaky pastry crust? Impersonator! Of course, in the best possible manner.
This potato crust beauty begins its life as humble mashed potatoes. Then, it shines when it is happily stuffed with brown butter (or browned ghee, if you are on The Whole30), plenty of sea salt, and just the right amount of thyme. They are mashed potatoes you can dream about even before they are baked.
Although ground beef is used for this mushroom shepherd pie recipe, you can definitely make it vegetarian. Vegetable ground round is something you use, and it will work with this recipe perfectly.
Yes, there is a way for everyone to enjoy this mushroom shepherd’s pie. So, it’s time to read about the actual recipe.
How to Make Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
- Sauté the onions. They should begin caramelizing so that they are deliciously sweetened and fragrant. Side note: There is nothing better than the aroma of onions being cooked. It’s half of the reason you need to be in the kitchen.
- Brown the mushrooms. These mushrooms add so much flavor to your dish. Even if you are making this dish vegetarian, they still pack the umami flavor.
- Garlic. A good recipe shouldn’t be complete without a generous amount of garlic. Don’t you agree?
- Tomato Paste. The natural sugars within the tomato paste will caramelize if you cook it for a few more minutes. This gives the dish a lot of extra flavors. This trick can be used whenever tomato paste is used.
- Worcestershire Sauce. This sauce is considered to be full of flavor. It is deep and salty with tons of umami from the anchovies. Side note: there are vegetarian options and there are a few substitutes for Whole30-ers.
Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie Recipe Card
INGREDIENTS
Brown Butter Potatoes
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
- ⅓ cup butter, use ghee for Whole30
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 clove garlic, very finely minced
Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 1 ½ lbs mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 1 ½ lb. ground meat (see notes), or veggie meat, if needed
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, vegetarian, if needed – sub chopped anchovies or coco aminos for Whole30
- Salt and pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover them with water, and bring to boil. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Then, put them in a colander and drain them. Return them to the pan and mash them well
- Brown butter while the potatoes are boiling. Over medium heat, melt the butter (or ghee). It should be kept on the heat for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes fragrant and has many brown spots. Then, remove from the heat, and add in the garlic and thyme. Pour the brown butter over your mashed potatoes and stir. Don’t forget to salt the potatoes well.
- Start the shepherd’s pies while the potatoes are still cooking. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large pan over medium-high heat, begin to heat the oil. Cook the onion for 5 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquid and are starting to brown. After that, you can add the ground meat (or veggie meat) and the carrots and cook until it is no longer pink. Then, add the garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Transfer the mushroom shepherd’s pie to an ovenproof baking pan. Then, add the brown butter mashed potatoes, evenly spread on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are hot and bubbling at the edges.
- Take the baking pan out of the oven and dig in!
NOTES
You may use a mixture of pork and beef in this Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie Recipe. For a lower calorie option, you can use ground chicken. Ground lamb is also a good choice.
