Creamy Beef & Potato Skillet Pie 

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09.11

Ok, today's recipe was inspired by a divine recipe from Melissa Clark of the New York Times called her Meat and Potato Skillet Gratin. My mom has made this recipe several times, and it is always an exercise in utter decadence, much of which comes from copious cheese.

So I set about creating a dairy-free version that is still rich, toes-to-nose, inside-out comfort food.

Here's the thing about this dish: it is not quick, and it is not simple. It IS easy, but this is recipe is wonderful because of the care and attention paid to each and every component. Youmust take the time to deeply brown your beef, to caramelize your onions, to roast your veggies and reduce your creamy sauce. But if you do, you will have aton of food to enjoy throughout the week, and I can pretty much guarantee it will become a family staple!

For me, this is the perfect kind of recipe to tackle on a chilly and/or rainy weekend afternoon, and I find the process therapeutic. Grab a glass of wine or hot tea, put on some tunes or the Food Network, close the kitchen doors and just let the fabulous smells take you away!

Feel free to sub pasture-raised lamb or turkey for the beef, but if using turkey, use a combination light & dark meat, or it will be too dry. You can also sprinkle frozen or fresh spinach between the layers (though you'll probably need a deeper dish), if you want to add some nutrients. I prefer to serve it alongside a fresh salad or some roasted asparagus.

If you're looking for a hearty dish that will keep your belly food, your blood-sugar balanced and your brain happy, look no further! Please do let me know if you give this Skillet Pie a go, and tag me on instagram @lauraleabalanced

  • STEP 1 INGREDIENTS
  • 2 lbs small yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1" pcs
  • 16 ounces sliced button or baby bella mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium Tamari (sub soy sauce)
  • STEP 2 INGREDIENTS
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 lbs grassfed beef (I prefer 85/15)
  • STEPS 3 INGREDIENTS
  • 2 medium yellow onions
  • STEP 4 INGREDIENTS
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 2 cups low-sodium free range chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons miso paste (optional but recommended)
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch (optional but recommended)
  • STEP 5 INGREDIENTS
  • 1/3 cup minced chives
  1. STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, thinly slice potatoes into 1/4" thick rounds. Line one baking sheet with your potatoes; it's ok if they're overlapping. On remaining baking sheet, add mushrooms and drizzle with tamari. Note—if mushrooms look dirty, wipe with a damp kitchen towel first. Toss to coat with tamari and spread in an even layer. Roast potatoes and mushrooms for approximately 30 minutes, until mushrooms have shrunken significantly in size, and potatoes have some golden brown edges. Set aside.
  2. STEP 2: While potatoes and mushrooms are roasting: In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic, Worcestershire, dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring a large skillet to medium heat and add ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat as you go, until no pink remains. IMPORTANT: let the meat cook without touching it! Eventually it will start to burn a little, and you'll see brown bits on the pan. Then you can stir it to expose new meat to the bottom of the pan, then let it brown again. If the meat is rendering a lot of fan, drain it halfway through cooking (drain into a glass jar or bowl). If you don't, the meat won't brown. Browning the meat takes around 20 minutes. Once cooked, add minced garlic/Worcestershire mixture. Stir, cooking another minute, until spices and garlic are fragrant. Add meat mixture to a colander to cool. Don't clean skillet—place it back on the stove.
  3. STEP 3: Slice onions into 1/4" thick half-moon rounds. Add to the same skillet you used to cook your beef and turn to medium heat. Once you hear the onions sizzling, add 1/3 cup water and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the skillet/deglaze the pan. IMPORTANT: You want to really caramelize your onions, which takes patiences. Allow them to cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they are gooey and dark golden brown. You can add more water every now and again, or turn down the heat, to prevent burning and deglaze the pan.
  4. STEP 4: While onions are caramelizing, combine all step 4 ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and turn to medium heat. Bring to rapid simmer and cook, stirring every few minutes, until it is reduced by approximately 1/3 and it is noticeably thicker. (can turn down heat as needed if it's bubbling too much). This takes approximately 20 minutes. Optional: in a small bowl, combine starch and 2 teaspoons water. Stir until dissolves, then stir mixture into saucepan. You will notice the liquid start to thicken after 15-30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. STEP 5: Turn oven heat down/preheat oven to 375 degrees F. When onions are finished caramelizing, add cooked beef and roasted mushrooms to the onion skillet. Gently, stir to combine all ingredients. In a cast-iron or other nonstick skillet (you could also probably use an 8x8 baking dish), assemble pie. Start with 1/3 of your potato slices, making concentric circles and overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons minced chives. Top with half of the beef mixture, then drizzle half of your liquid over the meat, as evenly as possible. Repeat with another 1/3 of your potatoes slices, then 2 tablespoons chives, then remaining meat mixture, then remaining creamy sauce. Top with remaining 1/3 potato slices and remaining chives. Cover skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid/foil and bake another 10 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before scooping and serving. Note—this is only loosely called a pie; it will not come out in slices.