- 4Servings
- Showing Off
- 25Ingredients
- 60 minPreparation
- 135 minCooking
- 195 Total TimeTotal Time
This Impossible™ Scottish Shepherd’s Pie recipe by high school chef Hayden Kreipl was a 3rd place winner (LA Chapter) in the Plate to Planet Challenge! This first-of-its-kind recipe contest through the Careers through Culinary Arts Program(opens in a new tab) tasked students to create an entree dish using Impossible™ Beef that honors or pays tribute to a family recipe.
This is the perfect meal after a cold day on the Scottish Highlands—or any time you’re craving a filling dish that sticks to your ribs. Originally developed as a way to use leftover meat, the defining ingredients of Shepherd’s pie are meat cooked in gravy and onions, a topping of mashed potato, and other vegetables as filling. Though Hayden only recently discovered his Scottish heritage after taking a DNA test, he is no stranger to the cuisine: “My stepdad is of Scottish ancestry and he would take my mom and I to a festival called Scots Fest, where most men wore kilts and played bagpipes. I got to try Scottish meat pie, Haggis, and more.”
But for Hayden’s take on Shepherd’s Pie, you won’t need a trip to Scots Fest or a plane ticket to Great Britain—a simple springform pan, about 20 ounces of Impossible Beef, and a willingness to attempt hot-water crust will do. For the mashed potato topping, Hayden takes it up a notch with a few non-traditional (but very tasty) additions: “A blend of Yukon gold and russet potatoes along with a butter sauce and smoked Gouda and Parmesan cheese give the mashed potatoes a smoky bacon flavor.” And the splash of Scottish whiskey in the gravy? That’s optional, though the alcohol does boil off, he assures us. What an indulgent and savory take on a classic!
25 Ingredients
Check out the recipe ingredients to build your shopping list!
- 20 Ounces Impossible Beef
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Marjoram
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 Spring of Fresh Thyme
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Shortening
- 1 1/2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 1/2 Pounds Russet Potatoes
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt, plus additional to taste
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup Smoked Gouda Cheese, Shredded
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper, plus additional to taste
- 1 Cup Frozen Peas and Carrots
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, Diced
- 1/4 Cup Scotch Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
SEASON THE IMPOSSIBLE BEEF OVERNIGHT
Add the Impossible Beef, dried herbs and fresh sprig of thyme to a large bowl. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
PREPARE AND CHILL DOUGH
Add the flour to a large, heat-proof bowl. In a pot over medium high heat, melt 8 tablespoons of the butter, then add the water, vegetable shortening and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Add the hot butter mixture to the bowl of flour and mix with a spatula. Once the dough has come together into a ball, knead the dough on a clean work space for 3-5 minutes. No extra flour should be needed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, or place into a large plastic bag, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
MAKE THE POTATO FILLING
While the dough is chilling, make the potato filling. Peel the potatoes and dice them into about 1 inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt, garlic cloves and potatoes to the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes and garlic. While the potatoes are boiling, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat, and then add the milk, taking care not to boil this mixture. Add freshly ground black pepper to the butter and milk mixture to taste. Once the potatoes are done, drain the water. Pick out the garlic cloves and discard. Place the potatoes back over low heat to get rid of any excess moisture. Once the potatoes are sufficiently dry, turn off the heat and mash the potatoes. Once mashed, incorporate half of the butter/milk mixture, and mix. Add the other half of the mixture to the potatoes, along with the shredded gouda cheese and parmesan. Mix together just until combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH AND ASSEMBLE THE PIE
Cut off one quarter of the dough and set aside. Using a large springform pan as a mold, roll out the remaining three quarters of the dough to line the bottom and sides of the inside of the pan, maintaining at least a 1/2-3/4 inch even thickness. Spread about two thirds of the potato filling evenly over the bottom and sides of the dough inside the springform pan. Next, mix the Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, peas, and carrots into the Impossible Beef, and add into the pie on top of the potato-lined crust. Add the remainder of the potato filling on top of the Impossible Beef, and smooth out this top layer to achieve a flat surface. Roll out the remaining dough, and place on top of the pie. With a knife, cut around the edges of the pan to get rid of any excess dough. Press the bottom and top crusts together around the edge, and crimp the edges of the crust. Using a straw, poke out a hole in the middle of the pie. Now let the pie sit in the springform pan for 10 minutes to solidify its shape.
BAKE THE PIE
Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. Place the pie onto a parchment lined baking sheet and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Beat the two egg yolks in a small bowl to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the dough, and bake the pie for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
MAKE THE GRAVY
When the pie has about 30 minutes left to bake, make the gravy. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and cook until nicely browned. Turn the heat off and add the whiskey to the pan, cooking with the residual heat of the pan until the whiskey cooks off. Put back over medium high heat and add the vegetable stock. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook the sauce until reduced by half. Add the last tablespoon of butter and heavy cream and continue to cook the gravy over low heat until thickened.
CUT THE PIE AND SERVE
Allow the pie to cool slightly and then cut into slices. Serve each slice with some of the gravy. Enjoy!