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Written By Kayla Lobermeier
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Are you ready to embark on a culinary journey to Middle-earth with our The Lord of The Rings Inspired Shire Shepherd's Pie Recipe. This savory dish, reminiscent of Hobbit comfort food, brings the flavors of Tolkien's world to your table. Immerse yourself in the charm of Shire-inspired cooking and create a feast worthy of a Lord of The Rings adventure. You will bring your dining experience to the coziness of the Shire with this Tolkien-inspired masterpiece that captures the essence of Middle-earth in every bite.
shepherd’s pie in history:
Shepherd’s pie surprisingly has not been around for very long!
The classic peasant dish of Shepherd’s pie generally consists of ground lamb cooked with vegetables and served with a healthy dollop of mashed potatoes on top. Historically, it was made with leftover meat or meat that was not as favored, like mutton, and a layering of sliced potatoes on top, which would have acted more like a crust.
This pie was created in the 16th century and it’s debated whether it was first created in Ireland or Scotland. However it became more popular in the 19th century as a way for families to stretch their food when their was not much food to come by. It’s a very hearty dish!
is shepherd’s pie in lotr?
From what I could find, I did not see that it was officially mentioned in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit at all! However, there are countless recipes online that say the pie is in the series by J.R.R Tolkien.
Rather, I think it is traditionally shared with this beloved series in mind because it is a classic English, Irish, and Scottish dish that combines an old-world feel and utter comfort. This dish could not be more cozy and fitting! I read recently that Tolkien was a big fan of hearty comfort food, which is why he mentioned such delicious dishes in his novels. It is certainly noticeable that food plays a major part in a hobbit’s lifestyle!
final thoughts:
This pie is a perfect classic comfort dish. I love making it in the autumn and winter months! It’s an easy meal that I can throw together in under and hour and still make entirely from scratch. You will absolutely love the flavor as its not too heavy on the beef side, and I decided to not add the element of red wine, which would give it a beef stew flavor. I am personally not a fan of red wine, so I like this version a lot better! It definitely focuses on the tomato flavors and the mashed potatoes (my favorite part).
This recipe was created as a sponsored post for The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War mobile game. If you would like to give the game a try, be sure to click here and use my link!
Enjoy!
xoxo Kayla
Shire Shepherd's Pie: Food Inspired by The Lord of the Rings
Yield: 6 to 8
Author: Kayla Lobermeier
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Embark on a culinary journey to Middle-earth with our Lord of The Rings Inspired Shire Shepherd's Pie Recipe. This savory dish, reminiscent of Hobbit comfort food, brings the flavors of Tolkien's world to your table. Immerse yourself in the charm of Shire-inspired cooking and create a feast worthy of a Lord of The Rings adventure. Elevate your dining experience with this Tolkien-inspired masterpiece that captures the essence of Middle-earth in every bite.
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 lbs (908 g) red potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (58 g) salted butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Beef & Pork Filling:
- 2 tbsp (29 g) salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 1/2 lb (227 g) ground pork
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz (113 g) tomato paste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) beef or vegetable broth
- 1 large egg
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
To make the Mashed Potatoes:
- In a large pot, cover the chopped potatoes with water. Bring the pot to a boil and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and add them back to the pot. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, then stir in the milk and butter until smooth and creamy. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and set these aside for now.
To make the Beef Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (204° C). Set aside a 10-inch (25-cm) pie pan.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic until the onion is almost translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef and pork, crumbling it and cooking until it is no longer pink, about 7 to 9 minutes.
- To the meat and onions, add the carrots and celery. Continue to cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season the mixture with thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Then, stir in the tomato paste, coating everything well.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and broth, bringing the mixture to a boil. Continue to cook the filling over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat.
- To the pie pan, spread about half of the mashed potatoes all over the bottom and up the sides. You are making a mock pie shell. Fill the potatoes with the meat filling. Then, spread the remaining mashed potatoes over the top of the filling.
- In a small dish, whisk the egg. Brush the egg all over the top of the mashed potatoes. With the tines of a fork, make a design in the potatoes. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and bake the pie in the oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes have become crusty on top.
- Serve the pie with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.
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Kayla Lobermeier
Kayla Lobermeier is an author, blogger, recipe developer, photographer, homesteader, and co-owner of the brandUnder A Tin Roofwith her mother, Jill Haupt. She lives in rural Iowa with her husband, children, and parents on their multi-generational family farm.Under A Tin Roofis a small flower farm and online lifestyle company focused on sharing the joy of seasonal, slow living with others who enjoy gardening, preserving, and cooking with wholesome ingredients. Kayla has been sharing her family’s journey into a simpler and sustainable lifestyle for almost a decade,andshehas been featured in publications such asWillow and Sage Magazine, Where Women Cook, Heirloom Gardener, Folk Magazine, In Her Garden, Beekman 1802 Almanac,andGardenista.She has taught cooking and gardening lessons through Kirkwood Community College andhashosted farm-to-table suppers at her family farm. You can usually find her sipping on a hot cup of coffee, reading up on the domestic lives of the Victorians, and snuggling with barn cats. Visit Kayla atwww.underatinroof.comor on Instagram and YouTube @underatinroof.
