Moussaka Style Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd's Pie
This hearty casserole style dish is jam packed with vegetables, ground lamb and covered with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. Perfectly suited for those nights when you need real comfort food, this Shepherd's Pie has all the flavors of Greek Moussaka plus the addition of mashies. While it takes some time to prepare, this is fusion at its best!
Ingredients
Eggplant Bites
- 1 large Eggplant cubed
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Tomato Lamb Sauce
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground Lamb
- 1 large Yellow Onion small dice
- 2-3 Carrots small dice
- 2 stalks Celery
- 5-6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 C White Wine or red
- 1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- ⅓ C Heavy Cream
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1-2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Mint
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 ½ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 stick Butter
- 2-3 tablespoon Heavy Cream
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Place cubed eggplant in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with several 5 finger pinches of salt and toss to mix. Weight down with plates and rest for at least 30 minutes. *If you can't fit plates in your colander, occasionally stop by and press the eggplant with the palm of your hand to press out excess water.
- Heat oil in dutch oven or large saucepan until shimmering. Add lamb and a generous pinch of salt. Cook lamb, breaking it up with a metal spoon or spatula, until cooked through. There will be a decent amount of fat at the bottom. Remove all but about a tablespoon using a spoon.Add mirepoix (carrots, celery and onion) and stir to coat. Add another pinch of salt to encourage sweating. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add garlic, stirring often. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.Add wine and scrape up any fond left on the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer until wine is reduced by about half.Add tomatoes (with juice), cream, and spices. Stir to incorporate, then allow to simmer on low-medium until juices are mostly evaporated.
- Preheat oven to 425F.Do a final press on eggplant to remove any last liquid. Rinse thoroughly with cold water (this will remove any bitterness from the eggplant), then press one more time.Place eggplant on a parchment lined sheet pan, then toss with oil, mint, oregano, and salt & pepper. Spread into a single layer, leaving as much space as possible between pieces to allow for roasting rather than steaming. *If you do not have a full half sheet pan sized cookie sheet, you may need to use two sheet pans.Roast for about 15 minutes, then flip the pieces and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350F.
- While the eggplant is roasting, place diced and peeled potatoes in a stock pot with salted water. Put the potatoes to boil, cooking until fork tender. Drain.Add butter to pot and allow to melt. Mash potatoes with butter, then add cream if necessary. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- In an ungreased 9 x 13, layer roasted eggplant followed by tomato lamb sauce and finally mashed potatoes. Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling through the edges of the potatoes.Remove foil, turn oven to broil and return casserole dish to top shelf. Broil for 3-8 minutes, until tips of potatoes are beginning to catch color. Remove from the oven and rest for about 5 minutes.
- Serve generous scoops of Shepherd's Pie aside a simple green salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can easily create individual Shepherd's Pies using smaller baking dishes. You can also split the Shepherd's Pie into two smaller Pyrex containers (with lids) to share or freeze half of the portion.
- Shepherd's Pie will taste even better after a day in the fridge.
- This dish will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to a month in the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 14gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 997mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3254IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 3mg
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