This is a family favorite. I’ve been making Shepherd’s pie for years and I make it slightly different every time. The key ingredients are Worcestershire sauce, homemade chicken stock and the perfect seasonings.
We use venison in our shepherd’s pie because we have a freezer full of it. I do prefer the venison though because it’s easier to cook with and I like the game flavor. I feel it’s easier to cook with because there is basically no fat, meaning, little to no straining and having to dump the fat somewhere.
I follow every recipe loosely and I substitute with what I have in the fridge or freezer at that moment. We laugh about no-two dishes ever being the same but I believe good cooks are creative cooks.
1 lb ground venison
2 tablespoons tomato paste (can substitute with tomato pesto)
1 cup chicken stock
6 oz frozen green beans (can use 1 12 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Mixed greens (kale, beet greens, collards), chopped (about 4 handfuls)
6 oz frozen baby lima beans
5-6 small organic sweet potatoes (or 4 large potatoes)
2 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 cup almond milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tablespoons organic all-purpose flour
Fill large sauce pan 3/4 full with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil. Wash and scrub potatoes well to remove any dirt. Chop potatoes into large chunks and add to boiling water. Boil about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft but not falling apart. While potatoes are boiling preheat oven to 350° F. In a large frying pan with a lid add the venison and cook on medium until mostly brown with a little pink left, about 7 minutes if you cover with the lid. Strain potatoes and return to pot but remove from heat. Using a potato masher or mixer whip the potatoes with butter, almond milk, salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. When venison is almost all the way cooked add the mixed greens, celery, green beans, tomato paste, chicken stock, lima beans, cumin, paprika and turmeric. Mix well and cover with lid. Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes. Little by little sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until thickened. Pour filling into a 9x 13″ glass baking dish. Use a spatula to spread creamed potatoes on top of filling. Keep potatoes in an even layer and spread to meet all walls of the dish. Cover entire dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Let cool and serve!
