Easy Ground Venison Shepherd’s Pie
Made with ground venison, hearty vegetables, and parmesan mashed potatoes this Shepherd’s pie recipe is a hearty and filling meal that will satisfy any diner.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 598kcal
Equipment
- Shallow Dutch Oven
- Baking Dish optional
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 ½ cups diced white onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 pounds ground venison thawed
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 pound frozen pea and carrot blend
- 4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese (or ½ cup of the canister shaky cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a heavy bottomed shallow Dutch oven (or a large skillet) set over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and a pinch of Kosher salt, stirring to coat. Cook until onions have started to become tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute more.(If making mashed potatoes from scratch, start the process now in tandem.)
- Add the ground venison and season with the remaining Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in the cornstarch once meat is browned.
- Stir in the beef stock, mixing well to avoid lumps.
- Bring to a boil and cook until beef stock is reduced to a silky gravy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in frozen peas and carrots (they’ll cook in the dish, don’t worry!).
- Meanwhile, stir 1 cup of parmesan cheese into the prepared mashed potatoes and spread over the top of the filling.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then broil on low for 6 minutes (or on high for 3 minutes if you’re brave). Remove dish from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven that can go from stovetop to oven to table, you can prepare the filling in a large skillet and pour it into a 9x13 casserole dish before topping with potatoes and proceeding with the recipe as instructed.
- Leftovers can be store in refrigerator for up to four days.
- Make ahead option: Make the recipe as directed above, stopping before broiling. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Next, wrap the cooled shepherd’s pie in plastic wrap and then in tinfoil and freeze for up to two months.
- To reheat frozen shepherd’s pie: thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, remove the plastic wrap and recover the dish with the foil. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, or until warmed through and then broil.
- This recipe calls for Kosher salt and not regular table salt. If you don't have Kosher salt, use 1 ½ teaspoons of regular table salt instead of 1 tablespoon, being sure to taste as you cook to avoid over-seasoning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/12 | Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 1730mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3667IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 4mg