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Home » recipes » kid-friendly feeds » easy shepherd’s pie

By Amanda Smyth 6 Comments

easy shepherd’s pie

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Bearhands and I bought the farm in 2005. We were a three man team – Bearhands, Tiger and I (not even kidding!). I worked my off-farm job from 5am-2pm then came home, changed, and got on the harvester until dark. When I came inside I cooked our dinner, then did farm paperwork til I passed out.  Every. Day.

Money was tight. Prior to farming I’d earned a reliable wage, I lived within my means, I had savings. I’d taken things like filling the car for granted. After we bought the farm I felt like a poor student again. I’d taken a huge step backwards financially, despite working harder than I ever had.

All this with a bloke I wasn’t married to. I’d taken a massive leap of faith, but I was worried.

In that first year two companies went under owing us thousands of dollars and I feared we’d go under too. During one particularly difficult week, I told Bearhands that would farm with him for ten years, then I was out of here. This was too hard. I was exhausted. I couldn’t sustain the stress.

Bearhands has always been steadfast in his vision. He’s been quick to wipe my tears and coax me back on the tractor. He’s also very indulgent of the fact that nowadays I need to photograph his dinner before he eats it!

I’ve been making this recipe since we first started farming. It’s the simple hearty food that Bearhands likes the most. Back then, if I made this, we’d get a couple of dinners and a smoko out of it. These days, it’s a family dinner that everyone loves. At our place, Bearhands calls it Manda Pie, but the rest of the world know it as Shepherd’s Pie.shepherds pie - great family food

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

There are many versions of Shepherd’s Pie, many of which are much fancier than this one. This is EASY Shepherd’s Pie, perfect for tired cooks and their hungry families.

Ingredients:

2 brown onions
1kg beef mince (get the good stuff if your budget will stretch to it)
2 beef stock cubes
500g frozen vegetables (I use a mix of peas, corn, carrot & capsicum) or dice your own.
1 400g tin lentils
3 tbs tomato paste
750ml water
salt and pepper

spuds, milk, butter etc. for mashed potatoes
grated cheese to top

Method:

Dice the onion and sauté in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat. Cook until translucent. Cooking the onion over a lower temperature will ensure the onion is sweet and doesn’t become bitter. (The same trick works for garlic).

Turn up the heat, add the mince and brown it while stirring to break up any lumps. Add the frozen vegetables, lentils and tomato paste. Stir to combine.  Crumble the stock cubes on top and stir in. Add the water, reduce the heat and simmer for about thirty minutes.

In the meantime, boil your potatoes in salty water for about fifteen minutes or until soft. Then add a splash of milk, a knob of butter and mash. Season to taste.

After the meat mixture has finished simmering, ladle the mix into a large casserole dish (or six smaller dishes for individual serves). Top the mix with mashed potato and cheese and bake for twenty minutes at 180°C, or until the top of the pie is golden brown.

Serves 6.

my family's favourite shepherd pie

In October my ten years will be up, but I’m not going anywhere. Our hard work seems to have started making sense. We no longer do the work of ten people. We have a book keeper (bless her heart) who has allowed me to retire my terrible accounting skills. I can fill the car up regardless of which day of the week it is and although I’m still up early with the kids, my shift rarely starts at 5am.

When I look up, I realise that we’ve created a beautiful life on the farm I once cursed. The Little Sister admiring the sunset This is our home.

This is where our girls make mud pies and yell FASTER as we zoom across the paddock in the gator.

It’s still hard work, but it’s paying off.Sunset at the farm

ever made a leap of faith?

did it work out in the end?

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Filed Under: kid-friendly feeds, mid-week meals, pondering, recipes, the good the yum & the ugly, time-worn tucker

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Comments

  1. Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid says

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    This reminds me of that saying “Jump, and the net will appear.” I love that your net has appeared and that you are living a life you love, and making recipes that I love! Shepherd’s Pie is always a winner dinner at our house too, and I love it when the gravy oozes out down the side of the pie dish! Best!

    Reply
  2. Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me says

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    Aww that’s so sweet, love this post so much. Not the struggle street part but the unconditional love part. x

    Reply
  3. Mystery Case says

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    I’ve been craving comfort food this week and it doesn’t get much better than this. Feeling rather fried after my trip to Melbourne, just need to convince hubby to make it for me.

    Reply
  4. claireyhewitt01 says

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    Changing jobs can be a leap of faith. My current one I had to leave a place I found really safe and comfy, but like always, it was worth the jump.

    Reply
  5. Amanda Kendle (@amandakendle) says

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    Far out – not sure I would have been tough enough to do what you’ve done – good on you! I think there is too much city in me, even though my parents were both country folk.

    Reply
  6. Colleen says

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    I loved reading this post Amanda, it reminded me of the some of the struggles we faced in the early years of our marriage….adjusting to living with another strong willed human being and financial worries being the main ones. I think I know just about every way to cook mince and sausages, as these were definitely our staples back then. Funny enough I still love them now! Thanks for your version of a family favourite. X

    Reply

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