Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins

Nothing says fun like a favorite food mash-up, and we’re so obsessed with our new and improved shepherd’s pie recipe that we had to turn it into a potato skin. The saucy, red-wine spiked ground beef and vegetable mixture gets loaded into hollowed-out russet potatoes, topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes, and baked until all of the flavors mingle and meld. We like to suggest a few options for sides with our dinner recipes, but for this one, you honestly won’t need any—the potato makes this an all-in-one filling dinner.

To keep these from being too labor intensive, we recruited the heating power of a microwave to do some of the potato cooking. After a few pokes with a fork, they’ll cook through in about 15 to 20 minutes, as opposed to an hour in the oven. The microwave is a great shortcut for baked potatoes, but if you have a little more time and are a fan of extra fluffy mashed potatoes, drizzle the potatoes with oil and a sprinkle of salt, toss them in the oven at 450°, and bake for about an hour before scooping the flesh out. Whichever method you choose, speed your prep up a little bit by letting the potatoes cook while you chop up all of the vegetables for the filling.

TIME & SERVINGS

INGREDIENT

INSTRUCTIONS(STEPS)

1. Step 1Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400°. Using a fork, poke 6 holes all over each potato. Arrange on a heatproof plate, leaving some space between each potato. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Microwave on high 7 minutes. Using tongs or paper towels, turn potatoes and continue to microwave until a paring knife can be inserted with no resistance, about 7 minutes more.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add beef; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon beef drippings.
3. Step 3Reduce heat to medium. In same skillet, cook onion and carrots, stirring, until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Return beef and accumulated juices to skillet; stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste turns dark red, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in corn and peas.
4. Step 4While potatoes are still warm, using a paring knife, cut off top third of each potato. Peel skin from the section that was cut off and transfer potato flesh to a large bowl. Using a spoon, scoop flesh from each potato, leaving a 1/4" shell and adding flesh to bowl.
5. Step 5In a small heatproof bowl, microwave half-and-half and butter until butter is melted, 20 to 30 seconds. Add to bowl with potatoes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash potatoes until smooth. Stir in half of Parmesan and half of parsley; season with salt.
6. Step 6Transfer potato shells to a large baking dish; season inside of shells with a pinch of salt. Fill potatoes with beef filling. Top with a few dollops of mashed potatoes. Using a small spoon, spread mashed potatoes over beef filling. Gently press and drag a fork across surface of potatoes to make hash marks. Top with remaining Parmesan.
7. Step 7Bake stuffed potatoes until tops are starting to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Turn on broiler. Broil, watching closely, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.