Southwestern Style Elk Shepherd’s Pie
Like so many of my recipes, I had never had Shepherd’s Pie until I made my very own. I was extremely not disappointed. Eventually I combined multiple recipes to give it that T Wayne flair of spice and I settled on the always delicious Ground Elk as the meat.
1/2 Lb Ground Elk
4 Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
Generous Salt
1 Jalapeño seeded and diced
2/3 Green Bell Pepper diced
1/4 Red Bell Pepper diced
1 Yellow Onion diced
2 Cloves Garlic diced
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
Half Stick Butter melted
2 Tsp Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
2 Tbs Butter
Southwestern Seasoning*
Pepper
Seasonings
The first step is to make the “crust” of the pie. The crust in this case is mashed potatoes. So fill a medium pot with the Cubed Potatoes and then pour an inch or two of water over them before sprinkling a very healthy portion of Salt. Bring that concoction to a roiling boil before lowering the heat to medium low and cover for 20 minutes but make sure to swirl the Potatoes every few minutes.
Once the Potatoes are done, strain them before placing them in a large bowl and pour in the Heavy Cream, Melted Butter, Sour Cream, and the Feta Cheese and get to mashin’. Sprinkle some Pepper and any other Seasonings you desire once you’re done and cover them with foil to keep warm. Now’s a good time to turn the oven up to 400°.
Skillet time! In a medium skillet toss in one Tbs of Butter and let it melt before sautéing the Onions, Bell Peppers, and the Jalapeño. Once they’ve softened drop in the Garlic as well. Right before everything’s done cooking, toss in about a Teaspoon of the Southwestern Seasoning and mix well. Place the finished Veggies in a bowl and replace the skillet.
Now throw in the last Tbs of Butter and let it melt before adding the Ground Elk. Make sure to break it up, stir, and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes and sprinkle some Southwest Seasoning. Once cooked, combine the Elk with the Veggies in the bowl before pouring the entire bowl into a pie dish. Make sure it’s layered nice and even and pretty.
On top of the Elk and Veggies lay out that creamy Mashed Potatoes before baking the pie dish until the Taters have turned golden (20 to 30 minutes). You’ve now got yourself a hearty, gamey, and delicious dish.
*Southwestern Seasoning: Equal parts Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, Oregano, and Cumin.
