Recipe: Mini Shepherd's Pies

Portion control-friendly shepherd's pie? Yes, please! This hearty beef entrée is full of nutrients and protein, but it can be easy to get carried away with portion sizes. Our Mini Shepherd's Pies will keep your waistline in check and your taste buds happy, and your family won't even realize they're eating healthy!

Here's how to mince that garlic:

Recipe: Mini Shepherd's Pies

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: Heaping ¾ cup beef mixture and ⅓ cup mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• black pepper, to taste

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• black pepper, to taste

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup frozen corn

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you're making individual servings, set out 5 small ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. If not, make the entire recipe in a large oven-proof skillet.

2. To make the mashed potatoes, place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 10-12 minutes.

3. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the saucepan. Using an electric mixer, or a handheld potato masher, mix in the butter, almond milk, salt, and black pepper. Mash or beat to desired consistency and set aside.

4. To make the filling, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, carrots, onion and celery. Cook until the carrots begin to soften, 6-8 minutes.

5. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

6. Add the beef and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it is no longer pink.

7. Sprinkle the flour in the skillet and stir to coat the beef.

8. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.

9. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened, 10 minutes.

10. Stir in the peas and corn, then take off the heat.

11. If using individual ramekins, fill 5 ramekins with a heaping ¾ cup of meat filling and spread ⅓ cup mashed potatoes on top. If not, simply spread the mashed potatoes in an even layer over the meat filling in the skillet.

12. Place the ramekins on the baking sheet or the oven-proof skillet, and bake until heated through, 15 minutes.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (Heaping ¾ cup beef mixture and ⅓ cup mashed potatoes)
Calories: 272
Calories from fat: 83
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 45mg
Sodium: 335mg
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 19g
WWP+: 7
SmartPoints: 9

3.1 The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.