Mini Shepherd's Pies

Mini Shepherd’s Pies

What is Shepherd's Pie?  It's basically a casserole with meat and veggies, topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until golden.  Well I decided to get a little creative and make a pot pie out of this casserole and it turned out great!  Each time you dig into this rich and wonderful dish, you get a spoonful of potatoes, meat and veggies all in one bite.  How good can it get! 

  
Mini Shepherd's Pies

1 cup all-purpose flour

¹/₈ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup very cold butter

2-3 tablespoons of very cold water

Combine flour and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into two 6 inch circles.  circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into un-greased 4-inch deep dish pie pan; unfold dough, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan. Crimp or flute edge. Set aside.

Potato Topping 

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes

1/4 cup half-and-half

2 ounces unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg yolk

1-2 tablespoons parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. 

Heat half and half and butter in a small sauce pan until warmed through.  Drain the potatoes very well in a colander and return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.  Set aside.

Meat Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and diced very small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 cup Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup fresh or frozen baby peas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion and carrots and saute for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. 

Add the ground beef, salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. 

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.  Add the corn, mushrooms and peas to the meat mixture and allow to simmer for five more minutes on low heat.

Spoon the meat mixture into prepared pie crust.  Top with the mashed potatoes. Make sure you spread the potatoes with a rubber spatula all the way to the edges to make a seal. This will prevent the mixture from bubbling over into your potatoes.  You can use the back of a large spoon to create the design I made on top or just smooth them out.  Sprinkle top with parsley.

Lay other circle on top of potatoes and brush with melted butter.  Place pie pan on a foil lined baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the top begins to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs and Thighs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These juicy air fryer chicken thighs and legs are tender with perfectly seasoned, crispy skin all cooked in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven.  There is a method to frying chicken in an air fryer.  Example:

• You want skin on and bone in thighs and drumsticks Do not use boneless or skinless.
• You need to always pat dry before you season and then leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• You want to dredge the chicken in cornstarch for the ultra-crispy, golden-brown skin.
• You want to use a dry rub for your seasonings.
• After first dredging, pop it on a wire rack for about 10 mins. The coating will cling so much better!
• Don't overcrowd the basket.
• Don’t forget to flip it halfway through.

 

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs and Thighs

 

6 chicken thighs, with bone and skin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

¼ cup corn starch for dredging

 

Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees for 5 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Rub olive oil all over chicken.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cornstarch to a small bowl and dredge each piece of chicken through it. Shake off excess cornstarch.

Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning to the cornstarch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using your hands, rub the seasoning well all over the chicken then transfer to the air fryer, skin side down. Lay the chicken in the air fryer skin side down. Do not overcrowd.

Air fry for 12 minutes, then flip the chicken over and cook for 10-12 minutes more until golden and crispy and cooked through in the center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken is cooked at 165F internal temp, but I prefer chicken thighs to be at least 175F to be tender, and I like to give the skin time to crisp up. They don’t dry out the same way as chicken breasts do so don’t worry if yours go over that temp.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.