Easy Shepherd’s Pie With Hidden Beef Liver
A simple shepherd’s pie is one of my favourite meals for incorporating beef liver, as it blends in beautifully! This comforting dish features instant pot mashed potatoes, ground beef, liver, and a medley of mixed vegetables, making it not only nutritious but also incredibly easy to prepare. It’s a delicious way to enjoy the benefits of liver while satisfying your taste buds with a hearty, flavourful meal!
When you click on an affiliate link to Amazon from our website and make a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure here.
I have to say, shepherd’s pie does not picture well but that doesn’t make it any less delicious! The ultimate nutritious comfort food. Using the instant pot for mashed potatoes with always be the way for me, it’s so easy and fast! And adding liver cubes to the ground beef couldn’t make the process any smoother!
Mashed Potatoes
Making mashed potatoes in the instant pot is my favourite way to make mashed potatoes. It is so easy and quick and delicious. All you need is potatoes and water to get started and fat and an immersion blender or potato masher to finish.
Instant Pot
This is the instant pot I use. It’s big enough for anything! Some of my favourite things to make in the instant pot that saves so much time and hassle in the kitchen is mashed potatoes, rice, steamed vegetables, and yogurt! A random selection but the instant pot makes these things, and so many others, so easy and clean. Set it and forget it!
I might be a little instant pot crazy. But when you’ve lived in and had to cook in small spaces, such as an RV or tiny house, you really appreciate these little things that make cooking from scratch easy and convenient.
No Instant Pot?
Simply add your potatoes to a large pot and top with water. Bring it to a boil on medium-high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft.
Beef Liver Cubes
To make this recipe, I would first recommend you make some beef liver cubes. Making these ahead of time makes the process a whole lot easier and cleaner! I always have a bag of beef liver cubes on hand to add whenever I cook a dish with ground meat. Simply add a 2oz beef liver cube per pound of ground meat. This ratios allows you to reap the benefits of beef liver without it overpowering your meal, no one will even know it’s in there!
Why Beef Liver?
Beef liver is highly valued in many cultures around the world. In traditional diets and indigenous cuisines, liver was often prized as a nutrient-rich food that provided essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and folate. Because of its nutritional value, it was commonly used to support general health, a healthy pregnancy and the development of robust babies.
The Benefits of Beef Liver for General Health
Beef liver is often called a superfood because it’s packed with nutrients that can greatly benefit your health. Here are some simple reasons why adding liver to your diet can be a good idea:
- Loaded with Nutrients: Liver is full of important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Liver especially high in vitamin B12, which is great for your energy and helps keep your blood and nerves healthy .
- Great Source of Iron: Liver is rich in a type of iron that your body can easily absorb. This can help prevent and treat iron deficiency anemia, which makes you feel tired and weak .
- High in Protein: Liver provides a lot of high-quality protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues, making hormones, and supporting your immune system .
- Good for Your Brain and Liver: Liver is one of the best sources of choline, a nutrient that supports brain function and helps your liver process fats effectively .
- Contains Antioxidants: Liver has antioxidants like glutathione, which help protect your cells from damage and support your body’s natural detox processes .
- Supports Vision and Skin Health: Liver is extremely rich in vitamin A, which is important for maintaining healthy vision, skin, and immune function.
How Much Liver Should I Eat?
A healthy and sustainable amount of liver consumption for an adult would be around 2-4 oz a week and 1-2 oz per week for a child. These liver cubes are around 2oz which makes it easy to calculate your intake. Aim to use 1-2 liver cubes per adult that you’re cooking for per week. If you want to add liver to your children’s diet, simply share your liver-enriched food with your children and they will reap the benefits from their usual portion of the meal!
What You’ll Need
- Instant Pot
- Large Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- 8″x 8″ Baking Dish
- Immersion Blender or Potato Masher
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie With Beef Liver
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cook Potatoes: Chop the potatoes and add them to your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover them. Turn the valve to ‘sealing’ and set to manual pressure cook for 8 minutes.
- Release Pressure: After 8 minutes, quickly release the pressure valve and strain out the water.
- Mash Potatoes: Add butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Mash using a potato masher or an immersion blender until smooth. Add shredded cheese, if using, and set aside.
Meat Mixture
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add your choice of fat. Once melted, add the finely diced onions and any other vegetables. Sauté until the onions are soft.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Brown Meat: Add the ground beef and ground liver (or frozen liver cubes) to the pan. Break up the meat and cook until browned.
- Add Peas and Season: Stir in the frozen or canned peas. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and any other desired spices.
- Thicken Mixture: Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir to combine. Gradually add the broth, bringing the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
Assemble Shepherd’s Pie
- Layer Meat Mixture: In an 8″ x 8″ baking dish, add the meat mixture and spread it evenly.
- Top with Mashed Potatoes: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat layer, spreading it evenly.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Serve: Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your nutrient dense beef and liver shepherd’s pie!
Notes
If your baking dish is full, place a baking tray underneath incase it bubbles over.
The mashed potatoes can be prepared ahead of time, as well as the meat mixture, really. It can all be assembled and covered and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Shepherd’s Pie With Beef Liver
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Large Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- 8″x 8″ Baking Dish or 9" x 9"
- Immersion Blender or Potato Masher
Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes
- 3-4 large potatoes 2 lbs
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheese optional
Meat Mixture
- 2 tbsp fat butter, lard, olive oil or tallow
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 cup mixed diced vegetables peppers, celery and/or carrots
- 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2-4 oz ground liver or 1-2 frozen liver cubes
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin and/or other desired spices
- 1 tsp thyme dried or fresh
- 1 tsp rosemary dried or fresh
- 1 tsp parsley dried or fresh
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup broth beef or vegetable
Instructions
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cook Potatoes: Chop the potatoes and add them to your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover them. Turn the valve to 'sealing' and set to manual pressure cook for 8 minutes.
- Release Pressure: After 8 minutes, quickly release the pressure valve and strain out the water.
- Mash Potatoes: Add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash using a potato masher or an immersion blender until smooth. Add shredded cheese, if using, and set aside.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Meat Mixture
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pan over medium-high heat, add your choice of fat. Once melted, add the finely diced onions and any other vegetables. Sauté until the onions are soft.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Brown Meat: Add the ground beef and ground liver (or frozen liver cubes) to the pan. Break up the meat and cook until browned.
- Add Peas and Season: Stir in the frozen or canned peas. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and any other desired spices.
- Thicken Mixture: Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir to combine. Gradually add the broth, bringing the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
Assemble Shepherd's Pie
- Layer Meat Mixture: In an 8" x 8" baking dish, add the meat mixture and spread it evenly.
- Top with Mashed Potatoes: Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat layer, spreading it evenly.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Serve: Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your nutrient dense beef and liver shepherd's pie!
Recommended Reading
One Comment