Crustless Shepherds Pie - gluten-free

I love this recipe, especially in the fall. It's great comfort food when the weather turns cold. My kids love this one and I never have leftovers. Hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does!


You can do this all in a large skillet and 1 pot and avoid the baking dish altogether if you don't use the buttered crumbs - but that's the best part!
All of the flavour comes from the broth and soup mix, so no need for added spices unless you'd like to add garlic, rosemary, worshestershire sauce, etc. to season your meat.

No-crust Shepherd's pie

2 lbs. lean ground beef, lean ground pork or lean ground turkey or combination  (I like pork and turkey together)
4 large white or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (sweet potatoes are a great option too)
2 cups beef or chicken broth (Campbells - tetra pack, not canned - and President's choice are both gluten-free)
2 tbsp bulk GF free onion soup mix 
1-2 cups mixed frozen veggies (great way to use up small portions in your freezer) 
1 tsp celery salt 
1 tbsp cornstarch, heaping
1 cup shredded cheese (I like a good sharp cheddar for a stronger flavour, go mild for younger tastebuds)
1 cup GF breadcrumbs or crushed rice crackers 
1/3 cup melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste


In large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add potatoes. Turn to med-low heat and let simmer. 
Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook meat with celery salt - and any other desired spices to season - on high heat (the high heat helps to caramelize the sugars in the meat and adds lots of flavour) and stir until meat is thoroughly cooked through and beginning to brown. Turn heat to med-low. Add vegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Add onion soup mix and 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir until well mixed and soup is dissolved. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup chicken stock with corn starch. Stir until starch is dissolved and add to meat mixture. Stir until sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Your potatoes should now be cooked through and tender (about 15 minutes). Drain water. Mash potatoes with remaining (1/2 cup) chicken stock. Add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of milk to make very smooth potatoes to make it
easier to spread over meat mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.


In 9x12 inch baking dish, spread out meat mixture to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Evenly sprinkle on grated cheese. Spoon mashed potatoes on top of meat/cheese mixture in small heaps to cover, then smooth out with a spatula.

Melt butter in microwave-safe dish for about 40 seconds (microwave time will vary depending on wattage). Add breadcrumbs to melted butter and stir to coat well. Sprinkle evenly over potatoes. Put baking dish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown.

Serve! 

NOTE: This looks really involved but it's not. Really! This only takes me
about 1/2 hour to prepare from start to finish. You can always prepare in
advance, cover in foil and refridgerate for up to 3 days then bake it for 45
min at 375ÐF with foil on, then remove foil and broil top for 3-4 minutes.