I made Ina Garten's shepherd's pie, and the easy recipe made enough to feed a whole family and still have leftovers

Erin McDowellMar 17, 2024, 21:03 IST

Ina Garten's recipe for shepherd's pie was easy to prepare and a hearty, filling meal for the fall and winter.Erin McDowell/Insider; Noam Galai/WireImage/Getty Images

I tried making Ina Garten's recipe for shepherd's pie.
The meal was easy to prepare and was large enough to feed a whole family.

I'm an Irish-American, but I didn't grow up eating shepherd's pie.

This traditional Irish dish has its origins in the late 1700s, when rural women made it using ingredients from their Sunday roast dinner as a means of repurposing leftover food, according to Britannica.

However, shepherd's pie has become a favorite in the US, as well. While Irish versions typically use lamb, many American versions of the recipe use ground beef or turkey instead, and celebrity chefs like Ina Garten have published their own unique spins on the comfort food.

Garten is one of the most beloved celebrity chefs — with a reported net worth in the millions, 13 cookbooks under her belt, and a devoted fan following — so her shepherd's pie seemed a good place for me to start. Her recipe calls for ingredients like carrots, celery, white button mushrooms, ground turkey, and homemade mashed potatoes.

Here's how it turned out.

I started by peeling my Yukon gold potatoes.

Peeled potatoes.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then chopped the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and placed them in a pot with water.

Peeled and chopped potatoes.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I used a time-saving hack to prepare my vegetables.

Chopped vegetables.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I also hand-chopped some mushrooms to add more texture.

Mushrooms.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of ground turkey meat, but you can get creative if you don't want to use turkey.

Cooked ground turkey meat.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The recipe also called for diced onion.

Diced onion.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then added the other vegetables and cooked them down until they were perfectly combined and soft.

Shepherd's pie filling.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then added chicken broth and cooked the mixture until it was fully combined and some of the liquid had evaporated.

Shepherd's pie filling.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

After stirring in the turkey, the mixture was really starting to resemble what I knew as the filling of shepherd's pie.

Shepherd's pie filling.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

After I had finished the pie filling, I started getting my potatoes ready for baking.

Hand-mashing potatoes.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The potatoes turned out perfectly creamy.

Mashed potatoes.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I added the pie filling to a large casserole dish and used a spoon to create an even layer of the meat and vegetables.

Shepherd's pie without the mashed potatoes.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I then spread the creamy mashed potatoes over the filling, making sure to get it up to the edges of the pan.

Ina Garten's shepherd's pie.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I wanted to have a deep-golden crust on the mashed potatoes, so I let the pie cook a bit longer than the recipe suggested.

Ina Garten's shepherd's pie.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

When I served the pie, it was piping hot and delicious. I would definitely make this recipe again during the fall or winter.

Ina Garten's shepherd's pie.Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I made a traditional Irish breakfast for St. Patrick's Day and the hearty meal took me back to my roots

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I made Ina Garten's shepherd's pie, and the easy recipe made enough to feed a whole family and still have leftovers

I started by peeling my Yukon gold potatoes.

I then chopped the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and placed them in a pot with water.

I used a time-saving hack to prepare my vegetables.

I also hand-chopped some mushrooms to add more texture.

The recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of ground turkey meat, but you can get creative if you don't want to use turkey.

The recipe also called for diced onion.

I then added the other vegetables and cooked them down until they were perfectly combined and soft.

I then added chicken broth and cooked the mixture until it was fully combined and some of the liquid had evaporated.

After stirring in the turkey, the mixture was really starting to resemble what I knew as the filling of shepherd's pie.

After I had finished the pie filling, I started getting my potatoes ready for baking.

The potatoes turned out perfectly creamy.

I added the pie filling to a large casserole dish and used a spoon to create an even layer of the meat and vegetables.

I then spread the creamy mashed potatoes over the filling, making sure to get it up to the edges of the pan.

I wanted to have a deep-golden crust on the mashed potatoes, so I let the pie cook a bit longer than the recipe suggested.

When I served the pie, it was piping hot and delicious. I would definitely make this recipe again during the fall or winter.