I had Shepard’s Pie a couple of times while growing up, as a child it’s a delicious dish….meat, mashed potatoes and a lot of cheese. Growing up I don’t think I ever ate it but I have often thought back on the times that as a child I did like it whenever it was made. However fond I was of it I couldn’t bring myself to make it, I would think about it but then a better recipe would come to mind or something healthier or just something else.
So, as you know it’s winter time and it’s cold, and in times like this one might think of lots of comfort food and in those thoughts there might be Shepard’s Pie. Well, I decided that I would make it with an Italian twist. Off to the store I went and I decided that I would put Mozzarella in it, and that I would not mash the Potatoes but keep them whole and sliced, then all of a sudden I got the brilliant idea that I would go ahead and make it kinda like a Eggplant Parmigiana or Lasagna, but maintaining the English ingredients minus the mozzarella. My Husband wasn’t fond of the thought of Shepard’s Pie; but I am lucky that he trusts me and will try new things. So, with him on board and my mind set to surprise him I made the following meal and it was delicious. It filled us up to perfection, we didn’t feel heavy and it turned out to actually be a healthier version and lighter as well.
So, here is the recipe and I hope that you enjoy it! It’s especially perfect for this whether.
Ingredients:
5Â medium Potatoes
1 large Eggplant
1 lb Ground Chuck*
1/2 lb Mozzarella
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Slice your potatoes a little thicker than 1/4 inch thick. Place in a medium sized pot covered with salt water and allow to boil for about 10 – 15 minutes, do not allow to cook completely, just under cooked is perfect, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, slice your eggplant in 1/4 inch rounds and place in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and allow to get golden on both sides, once you are done cooking all of the eggplant set aside.
At this point you may turn on your oven to 350° F (180° C).
Put your ground chuck in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and allow to brown completely, add some salt and pepper, turn off once meat is cooked. Slice you Mozzarella really thin and set aside.
Grab you baking dish, drizzle just a bit of olive oil on the bottom and start layering all ingredients. Start first with a even layer of the meat, a layer of eggplant, then add a layer of potatoes add a sprinkle of salt and some pepper and then layer mozzarella, a layer of meat, a layer of eggplant, a layer of mozzarella, a layer of potatoes, continue until all is finished you want the potatoes to be the last layer at the top, then sprinkle a dash of salt and finish off with pepper. Bake in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes.
Allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes and serve.
* You may replace ground chuck for ground turkey or even chicken.
Balanced Modern Mom 
This pie looks so good I may just have to maki it for myself 🙂
It was good. The best part is that it calls for barely any ingredients….I added some red pepper flakes to the meat to give it spice….I know that you like spice so you should try it.
really Yummy! good job honey, looks DELICIOUS!!!! I’m already loving it.
I’ll try it soon,looks less complicated than the real version.
Yes, it is actually quite easy. Drizzle some olive oil in the last layer of the potatoes so they get a little golden brown 😉
Yum. I made a shephard’s pie with squash that was amazing. I love shephards pie…great winter meal.
http://learningwithliz.com/2011/05/15/hg-squash-tastic-shephards-pie/
That sounds great. I love making things healthy and delicious with simple twist and ingredients. Thanks for stopping by Mythineats
Definitely coming back.. you have some great recipes and posts.
Wow that looks so interesting and super creative! And of course, very delicious 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! It’s amazing how a recipe can turn into something so different just by making a few simple changes. This one in particular was a great twist. Thanks for stopping by mythineats
Yum, this sounds great! I like the creative eggplant twist you added to your version.
Yes, well I had opened the fridge and I had an eggplant and I figured why not add some veggies and the turn out was great. Thanks for stopping by mythineats.
Love the idea of eggplant instead of corn and the way the potatoes are cooked and layered instead of mashed. It’s like a combo of shepard’s pie and gratin.
Exactly. It was a great spur of the moment dish and I really liked the way it turned out. Thank you for stopping by Mythineats.
I always use Sweet Potatoes in my Shepard’s pie, but never thought about Eggplant! I’m sure to use your recipe in the near future. I love adding new vegetables to meals and make sure my son gets used to the taste and likes it! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thanks you for stopping by mythineats.
Sounds delicious!
Thank you. I hope that you get a chance to make it and that you like it. Thanks for stopping by Mythineats
I think we grew up eating very different shepherds’ pies!! I have never, ever had it with cheese. In England, the alterative meats are normally minced beef or minced lamb. If I have written it up I’ll send you the link otherwise, I’ll write it up next time I cook it.
I think once you start slicing the potatoes, you are really going into the realms of a hash or a hotpot, which are different again. I think yours has become hotpot meets hash meets aubergine bake 😀
Yes, I would totally agree that Shepard’s Pie is different, this is why I titled it my twist, because instead of making it the traditional way I added my own twist to what is normally a minced lamb and mashed potato pie. Thanks for your suggestions however, and thanks for stopping by mythineats again.