Written by Susan Littlefield @ Common Ground Nebraska
Hi, I’m Susan! My husband Mike, and I, along with our three children, Bryan, Morgan and Paul, raise registered Columbia sheep along with all the fun 4-H brings us on a small farm south of Surprise, Nebraska.
My role as a farm wife may be different than most because besides our life on the farm and being a mom, I am a firefighter/EMT and a farm broadcaster. It’s a great combination that allows me to do what I love on a daily basis! Every day is a different adventure as I enjoy sharing about raising animals, doing chores – even if it’s raining, snowing or hot out – how what we do helps so many different people.
I love living on the farm and being able to talk about it on the air. I am excited to share and have the opportunity to talk to other Mom’s about farm life, raising kids, and one of my favorites – cooking! Enjoy this lamb recipe!
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 cloves of garlic
a small bunch of fresh rosemary
olive oil
1.5 lb. good-quality minced lamb
1 can sweet corn, optional
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 lb. potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1T of butter
Directions
1. Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrots, trim and roughly chop the celery; peel and finely chop the garlic cloves and pick the rosemary leaves, discard the stalks
2. Heat a large pan on a medium heat
3. Add a good glug of olive oil and onion, carrot, celery, garlic and most of the rosemary leaves. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Turn the heat up, add the lamb mince, and brown for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Use a sieve or slotted spoon to drain away any excess liquid from the pan, then tip in the tinned tomatoes.
5. Pour in the stock, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir well, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a low heat, pop the lid on slightly ajar, and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Make your mashed potatoes for topping
To assemble and cook your shepherd’s pie
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF
2. Transfer the lamb mixture to a large ovenproof baking dish.
3. Spoon the mash evenly over the top and poke the remaining rosemary leaves into the top.
4. Drizzle with olive oil, then cook in the hot oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
5. Serve and enjoy!