I put too much flour in shepherds pie.. what will happen?

[Welshgal1]

I didn't realise it takes a bit of simmering for the flour to thicken it properly. I just kept adding flour until it was nice and thick. Just read I should only of put one table spoon, I just kept sprinkling a bit on top then stirring so not sure how much I put but definitely a lot more than one table spoon. It still tasted nice when hot on the pan but now it's in the fridge with mash on top waiting to go in the oven later.. is it going to taste awful? What happens when you add too much flour?

My mincemeat doesn’t have gravy granules in it. The only liquid I add to my mincemeat is passata, though of course the vegetables (onion, carrot) have some liquid in them.

Don't use flour or Bisto in my shepherd's pie.

Lamb, onions, garlic, slosh of red wine, slosh of worcester sauce, bit of stock if I have some leftover from the roast in the fridge, if not use water & a bit of veg stock powder. Sometimes add a squirt of tomato puree, r maybe some passata.

Lol at the shock of adding flour when the people who don’t are adding’gravy. Yes but gravy tastes of well, gravy lol

You heathens using gravy granules, doesn't it taste too salty?

If it was too watery all you needed to do was to keep simmering it until the liquid reduced. Absolutely no need for flour in shepherd's pie!

I do cottage pie with a tin of tomatoes, but then more British herbs like rosemary etc, rather than the Italian oregano etc I'd put in Bolognese. It definitely doesn't have flour in mine, but sounds like it needed it to thicken it up!

you may have made savoury mince dough... fingers crossed it's ok

Those of you who have used flour, how long do you cook it to make sure it's all cooked out? Putting in oven now!

Put a few drops of water down the side if you are worried.
Normal 25 - 30 mins.

I use flour to thicken it too before adding stock and Worcestershire sauce. Yum 😋

Too much flour?!

RUUUUUUUUNNNNN!

It'll be fine. Perhaps keep the bread knife handy. Just in case.

I use a Delia recipe which definitely has flour in it. And cinnamon. It is awesome.

The secret ingredient in my shepherds pie is ketchup. Just one squirt. Surprisingly good!!

I can't believe the outrage at adding flour to shepherd's pie. Most sauces are thickened with flour (unless you are making an egg emulsion type sauce). I can only presume the horrified people are adding things like bisto or like watery food.

The flour should cook out when you're simmering the mince so It's just heating and browning in the oven.

For the non flour users, you brown the mince, take it out, sweat onions celery and carrots in the same pan until soft, mince back in, a couple of spoonfuls of flour, cook for a couple of minutes until the flour absorbs any fat, pour over stock, add fresh thyme and bay, splash of Worcester or Henderson's. Simmer for at least an hour. Then mash on top and oven. Perfect!

Oh and I put quite a lot of stock in and then drain most of the gravy off when I put it on the dish so you've got a lovely jug of gravy to have with it.

I can't believe the outrage at adding flour to shepherd's pie. Most sauces are thickened with flour (unless you are making an egg emulsion type sauce). I can only presume the horrified people are adding things like bisto or like watery food.

Nope. No Bisto and definitely no watery food! Just don't need flour if your mince is properly reduced down. Which also makes it tastier as the flavour is more concentrated.

Raging yes i do everything you say you do, but gravy,i would call it, not sauce

Well, I'm glad I tried adding flour. That was genuinely the best shepherds pie I've ever made! It didn't affect the taste but made the consistency lovely. Hadn't told DH about the mishap and he finished it in minutes and then asked what I'd done differently as it tasted lovely. I am shocked!! I think I'm going to make a habit of this.

If you cook your mince properly ie simmered for a couple of hours it won’t be watery.

The Shepard bit refers to the lamb mince

Not sure what a turkey one would be called!!

@MariaNovella A couple of hours?! Sorry but you can cook mince a lot quicker than that and it can still be delicious! Jesus today's the only time I've used flour but I've definitely never simmered mince for a couple of hours. Who has the time for that after work!

@GreenTulips Yes that's why I put ' ' around shepherd. I didn't use turkey tonight, it was a normal actual shepherds pie, but they curried turkey and sweet potato pie is delicious too.

I've never put flour in a shepherds pie but then I don't make it how 99.99% make it.

I make it like my DM used to which is to mince cold meat and onions, make a pile of mashed potato, mix together the mash, meat and onions, season and bake in the oven until the top is crispy. Serve with baked beans - very yummy.

I’ve never used flour, or gravy granules- I also fry off onions and then add mince, tomatoes, Worcester sauce, rosemary, etc and then simmer till delicious! Certainly isn’t watery! Just mince and gravy sounds like school dinner- or does it have onions and things too?