Shepherd’s Pie with Leftover Lamb

It’s been a funny old week around these parts. Monty has continued to burn up and has spent much of it sleeping on his Mama. I feel like I have barely left the sofa save for the brief visit to have two peculiar wisdom teeth pulled out. Hopefully next week Monty will be recovered and we’ll be able to get outside!

With the evenings beginning so early these days, comfort food is firmly on the menu. There have been hearty soups, fish cakes and roasts to name but a few. One of our favourite meals is made using the leftovers from roast lamb or beef – shepherd’s or cottage pie. I have never really understood why it is so often made with mince and have always made ours using excess meat from the Sunday roast. The result is well worth the effort and makes a superb freezer meal as well.

Shepherd’s Pie with left over roast lamb

300g leftover roast lamb (or beef to make cottage pie)  – you may have more or less, adjust other ingredients to suit – cut into approx 1cm cubes

Leftover gravy or beef stock

3-4 medium potatoes

1 medium/large sweet potato (or could replace with another flavoursome root such as parsnip, celeriac etc)

1 onion – finely chopped

1 carrot – finely chopped

Preheat oven to 200°C – makes 4 – 6 child portions

• Boil your potatoes and sweet potato (sweet potato won’t need as long so pop in after a couple of minutes). When they are ready (easily slide off a knife but not falling apart), drain them and sit in pan with tea towel over the top to capture the steam.
• In a frying pan, quickly brown your meat in a little olive oil then set it aside.
• Gently fry the onion and carrot for a couple of minutes until they are soft and starting to colour a little.
• Return the meat to the pan along with your leftover gravy, bring it up to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. If it is getting a little dry then add some water but you don’t want it too runny or it will give you soggy potatoes.
• Mash the potatoes with a little butter.
• Spoon the meat mixture into a ceramic pie dish and fork the potato mix over the top. (Can freeze or cool and save to cook later at this point)
• Cook in the oven at 200°C for around 25 – 30 minutes.