Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is a humble, old-fashioned dish originating in the late 1700’s in Ireland and the UK as a way for poor, peasant families to stretch a buck, or as in that case, a pound. Using leftover meat and enhancing with buttery mashed potatoes and some veg, created a hearty, nutritious meal.

We ate a lot of Shepherd’s Pie growing up, but never stuffed in a Bell pepper and never made with lamb. Ground beef was my Mom’s meat of choice. It gets its name because traditional Shepherd’s Pie was made with lamb or mutton, referencing the sheep herded by a shepherd. Coincidentally my Mom’s maiden name is Yuhas. She is a second generation Hungarian-American. Yuhas in English means “shepherd”.

You can put this casserole together completely in the morning and wait until super-time to bake. If you are baking right away, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stem, seeds and membranes from the peppers. I cut them in half, but you may also choose to remove the tops and stuff them whole. Place the pepper halves in a baking dish lined with foil and cooking spray.

If you don’t have prepared mashed potatoes on hand, make them now.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt. Saute 2 Tbsp. diced shallot (or onion or leek) until soft; about 3 minutes.

Add about 1 tsp. chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two. The ground lamb gets added next.

One of the things I really miss about living in Ireland is walking to the village butcher to get really fresh lamb, but this brand is pretty good.

Break it up using a rubber spatula into bite-sized pieces. You just want to brown the lamb as it will continue cooking once the dish is assembled and baking.

Add a 1/2 cup of beef broth, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, and 1 cup frozen veg. Stir to combine all ingredients and allow the veg to begin to thaw. Taste for seasoning; add if needed.

Sprinkle a 1 heaping Tbsp. flour into the pan and stir to thicken the sauce. Simmer until the liquid reduces to the consistency of gravy; about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and make sure each pepper gets an equal portion of gravy. Stuff pepper halves until the meat/veg filling is nearly to the top of the pepper.

Ready to bake.

Top with mashed potatoes piled high, then add a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. I used White Tillamook, one of my favorites. Finish by adding some dried thyme and freshly ground black pepper to the tops.

Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. If you are baking right away, place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tops are nice and browned.

These Shepherd’s Pie Peppers also reheat well. It’s really a meal in itself, but you may want to serve with some roasted zucchini and garlic bread for dipping into that deliciously flavored rich sauce.

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Shepherd's Pie Stuff Peppers

Satisfying, old-fashioned comfort food. The lamb and mashed potatoes are a marriage made in heaven. Mixed veg and aromatics balance out the dish.

Ingredients

• 2 lge. Bell Peppers Cut in half and cleaned.
• 1 lb. Ground lamb; 1/4 lb. per pepper half Use ground beef or any other ground meat.
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Shallot, diced
• 1 lge. Garlic clove, minced to make about 1 teaspoon
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh rosemary, chopped
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 cup Frozen mixed veg., such as carrots, peas and corn
• 1/2 cup Beef broth, preferably homemade
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Flour Or cornstarch to thicken.
• 2 cups Mashed potatoes; about 1/2 cup per pepper
• 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. Dried thyme for topping before baking

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Clean the peppers and cut in half. Place in a roasting pan lined with foil and cooking spray.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add the shallots and saute until softened; about 3 minutes. Add salt/pepper.
• Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2.
• Add the lamb and gently brown stirring into bite-sized pieces.
• Once the lamb is browned, add the frozen veg, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and fresh rosemary. Stir until the vegetables start to thaw and ingredients are well combined.
• Thicken the sauce by adding a Tbsp. of flour. Stir to combine and simmer for about 5 more minutes or until the sauce begins to look like a nice gravy. Taste again for seasoning. Remove from the heat.
• Stuff the peppers by spooning the warm mixture into each hollowed out pepper until the meat/veg mixture nearly reaches the top of the Bell pepper.
• Top with mashed potato piled high; ab out 1/2 cup per pepper. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and lightly add some dried thyme.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the peppers are crisp-tender and the tops are golden brown.