Shepherds Pie Recipes

[littleboyblue]

My ds2 is 6 months and is blw. I am doing meals for the whole family and want to do a Shepherds Pie tomorrow. I normally just use the powder sachet sauce things from the supermarket, but has too much salt for lo. What can I use instead?

Please

Eek. I don't know - I usually use lower salt gravy granules but probably wouldn't do that for DS!

Er cornflour to thicken and lots of herbs for taste?

you don't need any powder or gravy granules for shepherd's pie.

Fry mince and onion and garlic until cooked and onion is soft, add other veg too if wanted (grated carrot and caugette are what I use). Add a cup of water and keep cooking until all water has evaporated, then mix two tablespoons of flour into the mince mixture, keep stirring over a low heat and add another cup or two of water, continue stirring and cooking until thickened. Add more or less water for your own preferance.

Add some worcestershire sauce and pepper, salt can be added to adult portions once cooked.

Top with mash and bake until mash is browning.

You never have to use those vile packet sauces again!

And, if ypou're making it properly with lamb mince, it is so tasty you won't need to 'add' anything for flavour.

Ooh see my recipe here

Don't use honey though for a baby. You can add a spoonful of sugar when softening the onions instead. Wine is ok as the alcohol cooks off but if you feel uncomfortable about it, leave it out. You can add low-salt stock if you want to.

I top mine with a mix of potato and sweet potato too.

My recipe is really good and was in fact a best seller when a gourmet organic babyfood company supplied it

and, if you top it with sweet potato, you really don't want to be adding sweetener to the mince mix as well

Thank you I'm writing my shopping list for tomorrow which is why I needed to know now.
Overmdb That sounds good. I may add some skinned tomatoes too.
I did a really nice lamb bake with boiled potatoes and creme fraiche last week. Was yummy. and Bertie That was with white wine in the sauce. Ds1 had it, but ds2 was eating earlier so had something else. I don't have a problem using wines in sauces for them, like you say the cooking removes the alcohol.

Yep, the wine is nice, especially if you're cooking it for the whole family.

Don't put tomatoes in it though! It is not Shepherd's Pie if it contains tomatoes. It is wrong, please don;t do it.

Thank you again ladies. Bertie Just looked at your recipe. Sounds yummy. I've never thought about adding parsnip.
Tbh, I prob wont use sweet potato because I'm not that keen on it, but might steam some batons for the dc's to have on the side.

I've had some really nice meals taken from the recipe page, don't know why I didn't think to look there

Oh really? Oh. That's a big no-no then. Whoops. I'll save the toms for a spag bol then.

Can you tell I'm only just getting into this home cooking stuff? Which is about time seeing as ds1 is 2!

It's never too late to learn!

Hope you have a yummy shepherd's Pie!

Thank you.
I have a special folder where i have some recipes from here that I've printed, and I have also been buying some cooking magazines, and do you know what? i feel really good knowing that I am doing the best I can for my family instead of chucking fish fingers in the oven every night! Think ds1 misses his fish fingers and potato waffles. I might treat him in the week.
He isn't so keen on the home cooked, but he will be (I hope)

Yes I like it with potato on top as well. Depends what mood we are in! The parsnips are good though, they give it a nice flavour. You are probably right actually OMDB about the sweetness + sweet potato combination. I first made it with potato on top but honey in rather than sugar and it was really nice.

Overmydeadbody - Have made your version of Shepherds Pie for this evening (plus some to freeze for later). Didn't have flour though, so my sauce is a bit runny. Plus I forgot to add the wine... ah well, had better have a glass of that whilst eating the Shepherds Pie.

Overmydeadbody - It's nice... even without the wine in it!

For those of you making it for children, I suggest you purée the onions and any other veg your children may not like the look of, either that or cut them up very very small.

I never make shepherds' pie the same way twice.

It is really easy to make without a sauce and still keep it low salt.

I think some salt is good, and if making it really child friendly, I would achieve this via a can of baked beans.

I tried Berties recipe tonight. It was a bit dry, I must have done something wrong. Nit sure now how to do it next time. I hate baked beans so that's a no-no unless I eat later on my own

there is an excellent cottage pie recipe in annabel karmels complete baby and toddler meal planner - i just swap the beef for lamb. my 1 year old is a v fussy eater and she loves it. to make it suitable for the family just use regular stock cube rather than no salt one. or just add a bit more salt for yourself