If you want to enjoy Shepherd’s pie on a cold winter evening, it’s easy to keep leftovers in the fridge. If you’re not feeling so festive, you can freeze leftovers. To use them later, reheat them in a 350-degree oven for an hour or so. Here are several tips for reheating your pie in a skillet, microwave, or oven to make it even more convenient.
What is Shepherd Pie?
Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie are baked meat pies with mashed potatoes. Originally cooked with meat, beef is now used in a cottage pie. In the 1870s, Shepherd’s pie, made with lamb or mutton, first appeared. Sunday roast leftovers were originally used for cottage and Shepherd’s pie; today, we buy mince. Shepherd’s pie came in at number two on a list of the nation’s favorite meals.
How Long does Shepherd’s Pie Last in the Fridge?
The shelf life of Shepherd’s pie is five days in the fridge and two months in the freezer. Either the oven or microwave can be used to reheat it. Shepherd’s pie can be kept in an airtight, freezer-safe container, a Tupperware container, or a plastic bag that can be sealed.
In the fridge, freshly baked Shepherd’s pie will keep for roughly 3 to 5 days, especially if you store any leftovers covered in metal or plastic. When carefully stored in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a heavy-duty freezer bag, Shepherd’s pie will keep for approximately 4 to 6 months in the freezer.
How to Reheat Shepherd Pie?
Reheating Shepherd’s Pie in the Oven
Set your oven’s temperature to 350°F (180°C). For 10 minutes, heat your part of Shepherd’s pie while it is covered in foil—heat for 30 to 40 minutes for an entire pie. Take the foil off for the final third of your heating time to let the top crisp up. For added flavor, grate some fresh cheese on top.
- Remove Shepherd’s pie from the refrigerator and let it warm up.
- Set your oven’s temperature to 350°F (180°C).
- Wrap foil around your Shepherd’s pie (in an oven-safe dish).
- Heat individual servings for ten minutes or an entire pie for thirty to forty minutes. Shepherd’s pie straight from the refrigerator will require a little more time, while frozen pies require 60 to 90 minutes.
- After heating for two-thirds of the time, remove the foil.
- It’s optional to top the meal with additional cheese to liven it up.
- Serve right away once it is well heated.
- The best advice is to microwave Shepherd’s pie for 15 to 30 seconds if you’re in a hurry before baking it.
- Sticking a knife into your Shepherd’s pie can quickly reveal whether the center is still hot.
- When you draw out the knife, feel the metal; if it is hot, the dish is prepared.
- While heating, covering your Shepherd’s pie with foil prevents it from losing too much liquid, but you must remove it to get the top crisp.
- If you’re using a toaster oven, you can still use the directions above; shorten the timeframes.
Reheating Shepherd’s Pie in the Microwave
Put your leftover shepherd’s pie on a platter that can go in the microwave. The Shepherd’s pie should be heated in 30-second increments in the microwave. Before serving, let it a minute to rest. To make the top of your Shepherd’s pie crisp, you can place it briefly in the broiler optionally.
- When biting into a steaming shepherd’s pie that has just come out of the microwave, be careful not to burn your mouth.
- Put your share of the remaining Shepherd’s pie on a dish that can go in the microwave.
- Optional: Covering your pie with a damp paper towel will assist in replenishing any moisture that has been lost if it has become a little dry.
- Warm it for 30 seconds at a time until it is sizzling hot.
- Before serving, let Shepherd’s pie a minute to rest.
- It’s optional to crisp the topping under the broiler briefly.
- To guarantee equal heating, it’s advisable to microwave smaller pieces of food. Cold patches may form on larger areas.
- The broiler is useful if cheese is on top because it can become slightly soggy in the microwave.
- The broiler will help restore the topping’s crunch (if you have the time).
How to Freeze Shepherd’s Pie?
Several procedures must be taken to ensure that your Shepherd’s Pie freezes successfully. You prevent the liquid from separating from the meat after cooking; make sure to freeze it as soon as possible.
Follow your favorite recipe to make your Shepherd’s pie, but do not bake it in the oven.
- If shredded cheese is called for in your recipe, defrost it and add it.
- When there is no longer any steam coming off the pie, allow the pie to cool.
- After wrapping the entire container in aluminum foil, cover the pie with a layer of plastic wrap.
- The Shepherd’s pie will be less likely to have freezer burn if the foil is fastened with an elastic.
- To prevent Shepherd’s pie from being squashed, place Shepherd’s pie in the freezer until it is frozen.
- It would help if you tried our recipe for lentils. Shepherd’s pie to try something new.
How is Shepherd’s Pie Thawed?
The key to preparing a fantastic Shepherd’s pie when you thaw it out is to cook it straight from frozen by unwrapping it and cooking it for the specified amount of time in a preheated oven. Remember that the cooking time will be longer than specified in the recipe. Any grated cheese can now be added.
The pie could also be defrosted the night before, put in the refrigerator to thaw, and then heated through in an oven that has been preheated. Shepherd’s pie that has been defrosted will keep in the fridge and can be reheated, but it shouldn’t be frozen again.
How to Prepare Shepherd’s Pie that can be Frozen?
Shepherd’s pie’s rich and traditional tastes are combined in this recipe, which is also more freezer-friendly than the well-known classic. It’s the ideal dish to prepare for any event or gathering.
Ingredients:
- For the layer of beef and vegetables:
- 100 grams of ground beef
- 1-12 cups finely sliced yellow onion, 3/4 cups finely chopped carrot, and 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen peas
- Corn kernels, 1/2 cup
- Butter, two tablespoons
- Flour, two tablespoons
- One tablespoon of thyme leaves, fresh
- One minced garlic clove
- 1 cup beef stock, to taste, with salt and pepper
- Regarding the mashed potato garnish
- 2 pounds of cubed and peeled Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- Three tablespoons of softened or melted butter
- 1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
- Pepper and salt as desired
Instructions:
Set the oven’s temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to begin. Cook the beef completely by browning it on medium-high heat in a big skillet. Add the onions and carrots after draining the extra fat. After adding a dash of salt and pepper, simmer the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.
Cook the peas and corn for 2 minutes after adding them. After adding the melted butter, stir the flour, garlic, and thyme leaves. Pour the beef stock after thoroughly stirring all the ingredients. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil until the broth has been reduced to a thick sauce. Fill an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with the meat and vegetable mixture after removing the skillet from the heat.
Boil the diced potatoes in a pot until they are fork-tender to produce the mashed potato topping. After that, drain the water and arrange the boiled potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer. To let the heat out, allow it to sit for five minutes. After mashing the boiling potatoes with a fork or a potato masher, gently whisk in the cream, milk, butter, and cheese. To taste, add salt and pepper to the food. Spread the mashed potato over the steak and vegetable mixture with a spatula.
Bake in the baking dish for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mashed potato topping turns golden brown.
What are the Shepherd Pie Facts One Must Know?
Shepherd’s Pie from Scotland
The earliest Shepherd’s pies were made with pastry crusts, leftover roast meat, and a flavorful gravy as the binding agent. When the meal traveled from Scotland to Ireland, they omitted the pastry and developed the present mashed potato topping out of their plentiful supply of potatoes.
The Ingredients that You Believed to be Traditional aren’t
Over the years, our family’s preferred Shepherd’s pie recipe has seen several changes. The term “pie” probably derives from the bird known as the “magpie,” which is notable for assembling a wide variety of objects in its nest. Early pie eaters are believed to have been indiscriminate regarding their ingredients, making pies with everything from pigeons to crows. I’m delighted to see that we have advanced past that!
It Differs from Cottage Pie
In theory, a dish can only be referred to as Shepherd’s pie if it contains lamb or mutton. It must be referred to as Cumberland pie. These and other beef pies should all be referred to as cottage pies. Want to add breadcrumbs to the top of your pie?
Its Pie Status has been Called into Question
Pie is a serious matter in Britain. We shouldn’t be callingShepherd’s pie a pie at all; claims a petition to “put incorrectly identifying a casserole with a pastry lid as a pie a criminal offense”! According to the petitioners, a pie must have a pastry top and bottom; a casserole topped with puff pastry—or mashed potatoes—is insufficient. (Warning: Spoiler: It only got half of the requested 10,000 signatures.)
Conclusion
Shepherd Pie can last for three to five days in the fridge. Regardless of how long the pie has been in the fridge, there are a few things you should watch for. The food may spoil if it develops mold or a bad odor. If the pie develops a layer of frost, it could be due to moisture. Besides, frozen food usually takes longer to reheat than thawed. So, only reheat it once or twice a month.
