Mini Shepherds Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef with onion and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain. Stir in chili sauce and vinegar. , In a small saucepan, combine water, cream cheese and butter; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in potato flakes., Separate biscuits; press each onto bottom and up sides of a greased muffin cup. Fill with beef mixture; top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with potato chips. , Bake until topping is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with paprika.Freeze option: Freeze cooled pies in a single layer in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 375° oven until heated through, 15-18 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add the onion and cook for around 5 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic, carrots, celery, pepper and cumin. Cook for a further two mins, then add the lamb. Brown the meat, tipping off any excess fat. Add the courgette and tomato purée, then fry for a few mins more. Pour in the stock, add the lentils and bring to a simmer. Cook for 40 mins, stirring from time to time.
• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Boil the potatoes for 10-15 mins until tender. Drain, then mash with the butter and milk.
• Remove the lamb mixture from the heat and use a stick blender to purée. Stir as you purée, blending down the pieces of vegetables. Spoon into 8 largish individual ramekins. Top with the mash and grated cheese. The pie can now be chilled and frozen for up to a month.
• Bake for 30 mins until the top is golden and the mince is bubbling up at the sides. (Cook from frozen at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for about 40 mins, then turn up to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 for 20-30 mins or until golden on top and piping hot in the centre.) Leave to stand for at least 10 mins before serving. Check it has cooled down sufficiently in the centre before giving it to young children.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, celery and carrot over medium heat until beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour, thyme, salt, nutmeg and pepper until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Stir in peas; heat through. Set aside., Unfold puff pastry. Using a floured 2-1/4-in. round cutter, cut 12 circles from each sheet (save scraps for another use). Press circles onto the bottoms and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups., Fill each with 1-1/2 teaspoons beef mixture; top or pipe with 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes. Bake 13-16 minutes or until heated through and potatoes are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Steps:

• PREPARING THE PIE FILLING: Heat a large non-stick pan; add the onion, garlic, leek, mushrooms and minced lamb/ground lamb and cook until the lamb is browned; drain any excess juices from the pan; stir in the tomato paste (or dried Australian Bush Tomatoes) diced tomatoes lemon juice and pine nuts, if using; season with pepper and salt; bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened; transfer to a large bowl; cover and refrigerate until cold.
• PREPARING AND FILLING THE PASTRY CASES: Using an 8cm-wide/3 inch cutter cut out 9 rounds from each pastry sheet - 45 rounds in all; place the rounds on a flat surface and flatten slightten slighten slighly with a rolling pin; place the rounds about 3cm /11/4 inches apart, on oven trays lined with baking paper; spoon 1 tablespoon of the lamb mixture in the centre of each round, leaving a 1cm/1/2 inch pastry edge; fold up the edges of the pastry, overlapping the folds tightly to secure the filling.
• PREHEAT THE OVEN to 200°C/400°F/6 gas mark.
• MAKING AND ADDING THE POTATO TOPPING: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; spoon the potato topping into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm/1/2 inch fluted nozzle; pipe small rosettes on top of each pastry round to partially cover the mince filling; drizzle the potato and pastry with the melted butter.
• COOKING THE MINI SHEPHERD PIES: Cook the Mini Shepherd Pies in a hot oven (200°C/400°F/6 gas mark) for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
• SERVING THE MINI SHEPHERD PIES: Garnish the pies with fresh chives and serve hot.
• NOTES: If you have any filling left over, save it for making a toasted sandwich. If you have made these Shepherd's Pies ahead, reheat them in a hot oven for 15 minutes before serving them. The dicarded coarse leaves from the leek and any excess tomato juice can be saved for making Recipe #135453.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
• Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
• Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.
• Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.