Regenerative Shepherd’s Pie with Walden Lamb

Serves: 2
Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs Walden ground lamb
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef or lamb broth (Walden bones make amazing stock)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried
• 1 tsp rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ cup milk or cream
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: 1 egg yolk, for browning + richness

Directions:

• Make the mashed potato topping. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, 12–15 minutes. Drain well, then mash with butter, milk/cream, salt, and pepper. (If adding egg yolk, stir it in once slightly cooled—this creates that beautiful, golden crust.) Set aside.
• Build the lamb base (slow, steady heat). Start by heating butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened and lightly golden, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Brown the Walden lamb, breaking it up gently with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the lamb is no longer pink, but don’t let it crisp or dry out – pasture-raised lamb is naturally leaner and benefits from gentler heat.
• Build the sauce. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize it. Sprinkle flour if using, stirring to coat (this helps tighten the gravy).
• Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer 10–15 minutes until thickened and glossy.
• Stir in peas and corn. Taste and season until it tastes like something you want to eat on a cold night.
• Assemble the pie. Transfer lamb mixture into a baking dish.
• Spread mashed potatoes over the top, using a spoon or fork to create peaks and grooves for browning.
• Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.