| Ham Filling |
|
| 2 tbl |
olive oil |
| 1 |
yellow onion, diced |
| ½ tsp |
salt |
| ½ tsp | freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 lb | ham, diced, leftover is best but any ham will do |
| ¾ tsp |
granulated garlic |
| ½ tsp | dried thyme |
| 2 tbl | AP flour |
| 1½ cups | chicken stock |
| ¼ lb | diced Swiss cheese |
| 10 oz |
frozen mixed vegetables |
| 2 cups |
diced leftover ham |
| Potato Topping |
|
| 1½ lbs |
russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes |
| ¼ cup |
whole milk |
| 3 tbl |
butter |
| ¾ cup |
grated sharp cheddar cheese (grate it
yourself, not that crap in a bag) |
| ½ tsp |
salt |
| ¼ tsp |
freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 |
egg yolk |
First make the ham filling.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium
heat. Add
the onion, salt, and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the
ham, garlic,
and thyme, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes Add the flour,
stir well, and cook for 1
minute more.
Add the stock and increase the heat. Bring
everything to a boil, then
reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the
heat, add the Swiss cheese, frozen vegetables, taste, and season
with more
salt and pepper, if needed.
While the ham filling is cooking, make the potato
topping.
Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water.
Bring
to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until fork tender
(a fork goes in
with ease). This should take about 15 minutes, Drain the
potatoes and transfer them
to a bowl.
Add the milk and butter and use a hand mixer to whip
until
smooth and the butter has melted. Stir in the Cheddar cheese,
salt, and pepper.
Stir until the cheese has melted then taste and season with more
salt and
pepper, if needed. Lastly, stir in the egg yolk.
Heat your oven to 400°.
Now assemble your Shepard’s pie.
Pour the ham filling into a 10” cast iron skillet or
oven
safe casserole dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the
top. Use a fork
to make a design on the top of the potato topping. (Chris
crosses, in a
checkerboard pattern, sunburst pattern going from middle to
edges, squiggly
lines, etc.)
Put the filled skillet or baking dish on a rimmed
baking
sheet to catch any potential spillover and bake until bubbling,
20 to 25
minutes. Once it gets hot and bubbly, move the Shepard’s Pie
closer to the
broiler and broil until nicely browned on top. This should only
take 1 to 2
minutes. The potato topping goes from brown to burnt very
quickly, watch it
closely. Take the Shepard’s pie out of the oven and let it cool
for 10 to 20 minutes
before serving.
Serve.