Baby-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe is for 10 month old baby & up A Baby-Friendly Shepherd's Pie is the perfect recipe for this holiday season or all year round! A warm, cozy, delicious meal that the whole family can enjoy together. This Shephard's Pie is made with a few simple, clean ingredients, making it safe for little one's to eat. It is literally made with ground beef, onion and potatoes! That is it! And some seasonings for flavor. This completely embodies the saying of less is more. Everything comes out so well together, very soft, easy for baby and toddlers to chew and enjoy. Make this for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas or Hannukah, it is such a crowd pleaser. A satisfying, nourishing, healthy, dinner for babies, toddlers and adults!  

Why Baby-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie is Perfect for Babies and Toddlers:

Soft, Easy-to-Chew: The softness of the mashed potatoes, along with the tender meat, makes shepherd’s pie easy for babies and toddlers to chew and swallow. As babies begin to explore different textures, this dish is a great option as it combines soft potatoes and meat in a manageable form. This recipe is made with a few clean, healthy ingredients, making it easy on the tummy and easy to digest. Especially in the holiday season, during Thanksgiving, Hannukah or Christmas, I am always stressing on what baby can eat, I promise this Shepherd's Pie will save you! Allergen-Friendly: Baby-Friendly Shepherd’s pie is allergen-friendly, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free and traditional Shephard's Pie is made with dairy, this one has no dairy at all! If you have guests coming for dinner and they have little one's with allergies, this recipe would be excellent. Protein & Iron: The base of shepherd’s pie is made with ground meat, beef or lamb, which is an excellent source of protein. Protein is vital for your baby’s growth, muscle development, and overall tissue repair. Ground meat is also rich in iron, a mineral that supports the formation of healthy red blood cells and prevents iron-deficiency anemia. This is especially important for babies around the 6-12 month age range, as their iron stores from birth start to deplete and need to be replenished through solid foods.  

Tips for Best Success:

• If you have a dinner or holiday dinner coming up, I recommend making this dish the night before and leaving in the refrigerator, covered. The next day an hour before guest arrive, bake uncovered in the oven and you will have a delicious, warm pie ready for dinner.
• If you have a lot of guest or a big family, I recommend doubling the recipe. Instead of 1 oz. ground beef use 2 oz. Instead of 4 potatoes use 6-7 big potatoes. For the double recipe use a larger baking dish (9 x 13 in).
• For the potatoes you want to add a lot of the boiled water, to ensure they will be soft to eat once baked. For 4 potatoes I added 1 1/2 cups of the boiled water. They will look watery, but this is completely normal, trust the process! Once you let them set a little and bake in the oven for a nice crisp on top, they will be the most perfect consistency.

 

Ingredients:

This dish only consists of 3 ingredients- Ground Beef- 85% lean grass-fed beef is what I prefer, but you can use any ground beef you like. If you enjoy ground lamb, you can mix the two meats together. Potatoes- I recommend to use Russet or Idaho potatoes for this recipe. Onion- White onion works best in this recipe.  

What you need:

A Potato Masher Non-stick pan for beef- I recommend the Our Place Titanium Pan. It is non-toxic and food comes out amazing! Medium size pot for boiling potatoes There are two baking dish's that will work for this recipe. You can use a circle oven-safe baking dish or a 9x9 glass square baking dish.   If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more baby-friendly holiday dishes or dinners: The Softest Chicken Meatball The Softest Beef Meatball Broccoli Mashed Potatoes Easy One Pot Mac & Cheese