Slow Cooker Shepherd's Pie (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep shepherd's pie from falling apart? ›

How do you keep shepherds pie from falling apart? The eggs in the mashed potatoes help keep the pie together. You should also make sure to spread the potatoes and press down a bit.

To stop the mash sinking into the filling, allow the meat to cool before topping with the mashed potato. Freeze in individual ovenproof dishes for an easy meal for one.

Why is my shepherd's pie runny? Generally, this is caused by using too much stock. If you follow this recipe's measurements you'll have the right amount but don't forget to reduce the meat filling long enough so it's not runny.

If your casserole is too runny, chances are you either didn't add enough flour to thicken the gravy or you didn't simmer it long enough to reduce the liquid. Also, make sure your potatoes are thoroughly drained before making the mashed potatoes, so the topping is not too sloppy.

The easiest way to thicken shepherd's pie filling is by sprinkling a few tablespoons of flour into the ground beef mixture as it cooks before adding it to the baking dish. The starch in the flour will absorb the extra liquid and create a thick gravy.

The pie dough is too dry!

The butter should stay firm so it doesn't soften and combine with the flour. Wondering why can't you use a spoon? The trick here is to hydrate the flour with just enough water to get the dough to stick together.

Residual moisture from the potatoes will drip into the beef below as it cooks, and too much of it will cause the potatoes to eventually sink. Aside from ridding your potatoes of excess moisture before you mash them, it also helps to cool the beef down, BBC Good Food shares.

The main way we combat this problem is by rinsing away starch, both before and after cooking potatoes for fluffy mashed potatoes. Rinsing off starch means that there is less of it that can end up in the dish. When breaking down the potatoes, it's important to take care not to "overwork" them.

This shepherd's pie recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy but if you feel like the meat mixture is too watery, add in another tablespoon and stir to combine. You may also try simmering the mince mixture for longer so that the stock reduces down and thickens.

And, by doing so, the humble shepherd's pie was born. Originally, the dish contained a pastry shell at the bottom, top, or both. Over time, this morphed into potato slices at the bottom and top of savory minced lamb meat, until it eventually became a topping of mashed potatoes.

How can I make my meat pie filling thicker? ›

Flour as Pie Filling Thickener

Teaspoon for teaspoon, you will need to use about twice as much flour as you would cornstarch or tapioca to achieve the same thickening effects. Adding too much flour to your pie filling will turn it cloudy and pasty, with a distinctly floury taste.

How long to reheat a shepherd's pie in the oven? To reheat a shepherd's pie in the oven, bake it for 30 minutes if refrigerated or 60 minutes if previously frozen and thawed, at 350°F (177°C).

Reduce Them Over Heat

You can also thicken your mashed potatoes by continuing to cook them on the stove with the lid off. Heat draws the excess moisture out of runny potatoes, leaving you with a denser finished product.

The name "cottage pie" was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain, people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food. Originally, a pie made with any kind of meat and a potato topping was called a "cottage pie".

My pumpkin pie always cracks or separates from the crust.

The solution? Blind-bake your pie crust with pie weights until light gold, then pour in the filling and bake until inch or so diameter in the center is still jiggly like jello—not soupy.

Use butter, not shortening

Pie crust made entirely with shortening will produce pie with a wonderfully crisp crimped edge, but also — potentially — a gap beneath the top crust. A pie crust based on butter is less likely to make a gap in pie than one made with shortening.

Adding Thickener

A thickener prevents the filling from being too watery by adding a substance that will absorb some of the liquid that seeps out of the fruit. A small amount of thickener should not alter the flavor of your pie. Use cornstarch as a thickener.