Shepherds Pie...Help!

ok, this is a bit nutty, but I need help, and you guys are always so quick to lend a hand, I'm asking here first!

I am trying to make a shepherds pie for my SO Scott tomorrow night, but cant find the right recipe.

I usually make it with mashed potatos ringing the "stew" center, but he said he likes it with a pie like crust...

I searched the net, but am finding very few (and kinda lame) recipes with Bisquick or other pie like crusts. I was tempted to use a crescent roll dough tube and roll it out, but am afraid it'll get mushy?

The filling is a snap, I've "perfected" that part over the years, but can anyone tell me how to make a pie crust type outside for it?

Weird thread, I know, but I'm sick of searching recipe sights, and times a wastin', the meat is in the crock pot, and the cats are climbing the counters begging for their share! :laughing2

Last time I made shepherd's pie - admittedly a long time ago - I used a frozen pre-made pie crust that was even already in a tin pie pan. I think it was from Keebler, if that matters. Got it in the freezer section because the kind on the shelf in the baking department were all graham cracker crusts. Came out pretty good, too. At least, it was a meal for a coworker whose mom was in hospital, and she said her family loved it.

What about puff pastry or phylo dough?

Hmm...I've seen the Bisquick versions too. Try Martha Stewart's site. Yeah, I know Martha's stuff is overly complex, but she has a great bulletin board called home cooking or favorites or something and if you ask specifically what you want, well, I've always gotten what I've been looking for.

I posted the ? here to see what you'd get:
http://bb2.marthastewart.com/mb3/user/message.html?Just click "view entire discussion" on the lower left and you should see some responses, I hope.

Also, I looked up some pot pie recipes and they just say to use regular pastry pie crust.

When I saw the post title sheppherds pie my skick went all goose bumpy......I do not like it but I hope it turns out well

Cleo, use the kind of pie crust you buy in your refridgerator section at the grocery store ( red box I believe ), or sometimes they keep it in the freezer section also. I would advise against the kind you find that are in the tin already, because normally they are intended for baking only. They have graham crackers in it which really isn't suitable for your type of pie. The one I am speaking of in your fridge section wont get mushy at all and should get to be a golden brown w/ the perfect texture. I promise!!

but two other tasty variants are using layers of scalloped potatoes or long rice.

BTW..in French Canada the pie-shell version is know as Tortiere (tor-tee-air).

I think Rappie Pie from NS is similar...maybe Melissa knows?

Anyways,it's one of my veeeery favourite dishes if anyone would like to send a Care package??? (Hint,hint)

I only know one version for shepherds pie. Its the one with mashed potatoes, and I am sure the filling is much different. Anyone know where the very first one originated?

I thought it was a traditional English dish, from like the Pennines where there's a lot of sheep . . .

So Cleo...how did it go? Everything turn out ok? :tounge2:

1 pound lean ground lamb, beef, cooked lamb roast or beef (use what you like)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 shallots, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt (more or less to your taste)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to your taste)

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 cup green peas, frozen are better than canned

------------------

1 quart mashed potatoes (use your favorite recipe)

8 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Preparation

Make your favorite mashed potatoes and keep them warm. Grate the cheese and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a hot skillet, add the vegetable oil, then brown the meat with the garlic, shallots and onions. When browned and the vegetables are tender, add the salt, pepper and flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add the tomato paste, beef or chicken broth and cook until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. (If you like a thinner sauce just add a little more broth). Now add the peas, (Other vegetable combinations if you like) and parsley. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if you like. Place in a casserole dish and top evenly with the warm mashed potatoes and grated cheese. Bake for twenty minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with a crisp salad, hearty Irish oat bread and beverage of your choice---Enjoy!!!

Hissy, that is the recipe I use ( or very similar ). I've only made it with mashed potatos, but I am sure it would taste good w/ crust as well. I've had other meat pies w/ crusts and they are awesome. Cleo will have to tell us how it was!!! Where is she anyway????

I have a recipe that is like a barbecue beef filling. And the crust is made with crescent rolls ( the kind you find in the can by Pillsbury ). You put the crescents in the pie dish so it makes a crust, add the filling, cover it with the rest of the crescents and bake. It is sooooo yummy, oh I think I may have to make it now!!!

To make a breakfast pizza, you use the rolls for crust after you flatten them out, cook up some sausage and crumble it, cook up some eggs and scramble them, add some frozen hash brown potatoes, sprinkle it on top and add some minced onions, grated cheese and bake it in the regular oven and it is wonderful!

Oh Hissy, that sounds yummy! Can you email me the recipe for that?? We love good breakfast dishes, and that sounds right up my hubby's ally.

thanks!!

I would that recipe!

How long do you bake it, and at what temp?

That quick cooking magazine I get has a lot of casserole dishes made with various "tube" breads. I don't know if it's my oven but the dough never cooks through. I ALWAYS go by the directions and I still end up with gooey dough.

Okay, now I'm hungry!!!

I usually have the opposite problem: I put things in the oven for the shortest time they suggest, and they come out burned. I finally bought an oven thermometer and found out my oven is 75 to 125 degrees (Farenheit) hotter than the temperature set on the dial. It was worth the $3 to find that out!

1 package Jimmy Dean Regular sausge
2 tubes Pillsbury Crescent Rolls the refrigerated kind
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes thawed
2 cups grated cheese, any kind


While sausage is cooking, break open the tubes of dough and spread them out on a pizza pan until they form one even crust. place points toward the center.Press dough up the sides of the pan and seal at perforations. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper together, pour over crust carefully. Spoon cooked crumbled sausage over the top, add the hashbrowns and and cheddar cheese and grated onions. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

This is also good served with jelly as the crust tends to be dry. I also have served it over my never fail country gravy- recipe follows:



I package Jimmy Dean Reg. Sausage
1 1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour

Cook the sausage and while the grease is still in it, sprinkle the flour over the sausage and mix well. Once it is blended, add the milk and salt and pepper,stir until desired thickness and whalla- you have perfect country gravy with no lumps and it is sooo good!

Are you guys asking me about the bbq beef recipe?? Or Hissy about the breakfast pizza??

If you are asking me, I'll go dig it out tonight and post it on this thread.