Chorizo Sausage Shepherds Pie with Ground Beef
This Chorizo Sausage Shepherd's Pie recipe is smokey, salty, slightly sweet and utterly delicious! It's a mashup of English and Spanish flavors with Spanish Chorizo and traditional ground beef cooked in a rich and savory gravy filled with veggies and herbs. On top of all this goodness are potatoes with manchego, parmesan, and garlic making them incredibly creamy, cheesy, and flavorful.
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 ½ lbs Russet Potatoes
- 3 tablespoon Salt 2 tablespoon for water, remaining as needed
- 1 cup 1% Milk (Any milk will work)
- 2 tablespoon Butter, salted (unsalted is good too)
- 1 cup Manchego Cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian Flat leaf Parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
Beef Filling
- 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Carrots, medium (about 1.5 cups diced)
- 2 Celery Stalks (about 1 cup diced)
- 2 Scallions, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef, raised w/o antibiotics
- 6 oz Spanish Chorizo, dry-cured sausage or pre-cooked links
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Thyme, dried
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Cold Water
- 1 cup Corn kernels
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
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Make the Mashed Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and keep them in cold water until all are peeled and cut. Cut them into small 1 inch size pieces so they cook faster. Put potatoes into a large pot of water (with an strainer insert if you have it). Add 2 tablespoon of Salt to the water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil (about 8-10 minutes). Boil for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
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While the potatoes are cooking, chop the parsley, dice the carrots, dice the celery, slice the scallions.
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Dice the dry-cured chorizo sausage. If using pre-cooked links, remove the casing from the chorizo and break it up into small rough pices with your hands, fork, or knife.
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When the potatoes are soft and slide off the fork or break apart easily, drain the potatoes and add back to the pot for smashing. Add the butter and 1 cup of milk and smash with a potato masher. Add garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, manchego cheese, and parmesan and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add a teaspoon of salt or more if needed. Finally stir in a tablespoon of chopped parsley.
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Preheat a large (10-12 inch) skillet or saute pan. Add 2 teaspoon Olive Oil and the carrots and celery. Stir to coat in oil and then spread out into an even layer, cooking for about 4-5 minutes.
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Add the scallions, garlic, beef, and broken up chorizo. Mix everything and cook the beef until it is all browned or cooked through (no longer pink).
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While the beef is cooking, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoon of cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water.
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Add the salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce. Mix to combine.
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Add the chicken broth and the cornstarch slurry. Stir until it starts to thicken, then cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes.
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Spread the filling out into a 3-quart casserole dish and mix in the corn kernels.
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Now start to spread the mashed potatoes around the top starting with the outside, spreading the potatoes right up against the side of the dish to seal the edge. Work your way into the center.
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At this point, you can store the casserole in the fridge or move on to baking it.
Cook
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Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
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Bake the casserole for 25 minutes on the center rack sitting in a large sheet pan that can catch any of the goodness that may bubble over.
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When the top is starting to brown, take the Shepherd's Pie out and let is rest for about 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
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Can I use ground chicken or turkey in this shepherds pie?
Yes, you can use any ground protein that you prefer in this chorizo sausage shepherds pie. Just be sure to add enough oil to the pan for chicken and turkey so that it doesn’t stick, as it has less fat than beef. You will also want to taste for seasoning. Since beef tends to have more natural flavor, you may want a touch more salt, oregano, or pepper. Otherwise, the cooking steps will be the same. -
Can I use another sausage other than Chorizo?
Yes, you can use any preferred sausage. Sweet Italian Sausage is a delicious mild alternative and Andouille sausage is a spicy cajun option. You can also use chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or even polish sausage. If you use another sausage but still want big flavor, you can always add 1-2 teaspoons of Smoked paprika or cajun seasoning blend. -
Can this Chorizo Sausage Shepherds Pie be frozen?
This Shepherd’s Pie can be frozen before or after baking. Cool it first in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer and it will last for 3-4 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator 24 hours in advance of cooking. Then place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes minutes covered then 10 minutes uncovered