Emilie Meyer
Shepherd's Pie is a delicious, savoury entrée made with a base of seasoned ground beef or lamb, mixed vegetables, and a topping of mashed potatoes. This classic dish can be prepared in an air fryer with minimal prep and cleanup and is perfect for using up leftovers. But how long does it take to cook frozen shepherd's pie in an air fryer? The answer depends on the size of your pie and the temperature of your air fryer, but generally, it takes around 25-35 minutes to cook frozen shepherd's pie in an air fryer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meat | Beef or lamb |
| Vegetables | Fresh or frozen |
| Temperature | 375°F/190°C or 400°F/200°C |
| Time | 10-15 minutes or 25-35 minutes (frozen) |
| Topping | Mashed potatoes (with cheese) |
| Pan | Air fryer-safe |
| Storage | Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze |
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What You'll Learn
Shepherd's Pie recipe
Shepherd's Pie is a classic British dish that can be made in an air fryer or in the oven. Here is a recipe for Shepherd's Pie and instructions for how to cook it in an air fryer.
Ingredients
- Ground beef or lamb
- Vegetables (such as peas, carrots, onions)
- Mashed potatoes
- Butter or margarine
- Chicken stock
- Red wine (optional)
- Flour
- Thyme
- Bay leaf
- Worcestershire sauce
- Yeast extract spread (optional)
- Cheese (optional)
- Cream (optional)
Instructions:
Start by making the meat mixture and the mashed potatoes. You can do this ahead of time and store the meat mixture in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you are using beef, drain the fat from the beef/onion mixture to prevent the final dish from becoming greasy.
To make the meat mixture, heat butter or margarine in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Then, add the ground beef or lamb and cook until browned. Add the chicken stock, red wine (if using), flour, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, and yeast extract spread (if using). Simmer until the mixture thickens.
To make the mashed potatoes, boil potatoes until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and add butter, cream (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes until they are light and fluffy.
Once your meat mixture and mashed potatoes are ready, it's time to assemble the shepherd's pie. Spoon the meat mixture into the bottom of a baking dish, filling it no more than halfway to prevent spillage. Then, spoon the mashed potatoes over the top, creating a dappled surface with a spatula or fork to ensure crispy peaks.
If you are baking the shepherd's pie in the oven, bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are browned and bubbling. If you are using an air fryer, cook at 180°C for 15-25 minutes, or 35 minutes if cooking from frozen, until the top is golden and the filling is heated through.
Enjoy your Shepherd's Pie!
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Air fryer settings
The air fryer is a great way to cook shepherd's pie, with minimal prep and cleanup. You can cook it in the air fryer from frozen, or straight from the fridge. It's best to use an air fryer-safe pan, and ensure that it fits in your air fryer before adding the shepherd's pie mixture.
If you're cooking from frozen, you'll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. One source suggests cooking a frozen shepherd's pie at 180C for 35 minutes. Another source recommends cooking at 400°F/200°C for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the pie is heated through and the top is golden.
If you're using a Ninja Foodi, you can use the Tender Crisp function to melt the cheese and brown the top. If you're cooking from frozen in the Ninja Foodi, it's recommended to thaw the pie overnight in the fridge before cooking.
It's important to note that not all air fryers have the same settings and functions, so you may need to adjust the temperatures and timings depending on your specific model. For example, one source mentions that their basic air fryer doesn't have a grill setting, but the baking setting is enough to get a crispy top on the shepherd's pie.
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Freezing the pie
Shepherd's Pie is a great dish to make ahead of time and store in the freezer for a future meal. It can be frozen in two ways. Firstly, you can prepare the pie up to but not including baking, then wrap it with freezer wrap and freeze. When you want to eat it, simply thaw and bake as directed. Secondly, you can prepare and freeze only the meat mixture. When you want to eat the pie, thaw the meat mixture, place it in a baking dish, top with mashed potatoes, and bake as directed.
The quality of the pie will be best if it is consumed within 3 months of freezing. When baking the pie from frozen, remove the plastic wrap and replace it with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes. Then, remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the mashed potato topping is golden brown.
You can also freeze individual portions in enamel pie dishes, foil trays, or anything ovenproof and freezerproof. These can be baked in the air fryer straight from the freezer. To cook from frozen in the air fryer, allow 35 minutes at 180°C.
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Reheating the pie
If you have leftover shepherd's pie, you can store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you're ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat it in the air fryer!
For best results, it's recommended to thaw frozen shepherd's pie overnight in the fridge before reheating. This will ensure even cooking throughout the pie. However, it's not necessary to thaw, and you can cook it straight from frozen if you're short on time.
To reheat your shepherd's pie in the air fryer, first, preheat the air fryer to the recommended temperature. The ideal temperature may vary depending on your air fryer model, but generally, a temperature between 180°C and 200°C is suitable.
Next, place the shepherd's pie in an air fryer-safe pan or container. Ensure that the pan or container fits properly in the air fryer basket before adding the pie. This is important for even cooking and to avoid any mess or damage to your air fryer.
If you're reheating individual portions, you can use ramekins or small oven-safe dishes. For a larger pie, a heat-safe pan or casserole dish is ideal.
Once the air fryer has preheated, place the pan or dish containing the shepherd's pie into the air fryer basket. Set the timer according to the recommended cooking time, which can range from 10 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of your pie and whether it's been thawed.
During the cooking process, keep an eye on the shepherd's pie. You may need to adjust the cooking time slightly based on your air fryer's performance and the desired doneness of the topping. The pie is ready when it's heated through and the topping is golden and crispy.
If you're using a Ninja Foodi, you can also utilize the Tender Crisp function to melt the cheese and brown the topping. First, reheat the shepherd's pie at a low temperature of around 250°F until it's heated through. Then, finish it off by Tender Crisp at 350°F until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
With these simple steps, you can enjoy a delicious and crispy shepherd's pie straight from your air fryer!
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Meat and potato alternatives
Meat Alternatives
If you're looking for meat alternatives to use in a shepherd's pie, there are several options available. For a vegan or vegetarian option, you can try using plant-based beef, which has a similar taste and texture to regular ground beef. Brands like Impossible Burger and Beyond Beef are popular choices for this. Alternatively, you can use textured vegetable protein (TVP), which is a versatile and inexpensive option that can be purchased from health food stores and other shops. Lentils are another great option for a meat alternative, as they provide a similar texture and can be a delicious addition to your shepherd's pie.
Potato Alternatives
If you're looking for alternatives to potatoes in your shepherd's pie, there are a few options to consider. You can try using a root vegetable mash made from sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, or turnips. This option provides a more nutritious topping than traditional mashed potatoes. Another idea is to use a mix of cauliflower puree and potato or celeriac and potato mash, which creates a lighter version of the dish. If you're looking for a quick fix, tater tots can also be a creative substitute for mashed potatoes.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes 35 minutes to cook frozen shepherd's pie in an air fryer at 180C.
Set your air fryer to 180C or 350-375°F.
It takes 10-15 minutes to cook shepherd's pie in an air fryer if it is not frozen.
Yes, you can cook shepherd's pie with cheese on top in an air fryer. Cook at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
