shepherd’s pie It is a mince pie of English origin, made with a mashed potato crust and minced red meat cooked in a sauce with onions and other vegetables, such as peas, carrots, celery, and sweet corn. Leftovers are usual, with food this delicious and rich.
What is the best way to reheat shepherd’s pie? The best way to reheat shepherd’s pie is Use the ovenbut if you are in a hurry you can use the microwave or reheat leftovers in a frying pan.
The Best Ways to Reheat Shepherd’s Pie
There are a few things to keep in mind when reheating shepherd’s pie, and the first is that you need to consider how you store leftovers.
Remember not to keep food out for more than 2 hours at room temperature, because bacteria tend to grow rapidly at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F. You can store shepherd’s pie in the fridge or freezer.
Freshly baked Shepherd’s Pie will last 3-5 days in the fridge, especially if you refrigerate leftovers covered with foil or plastic wrap. Shepherd’s Pie will last 4-6 months in the freezer, if stored properly in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Another important thing is to always check if your shepherd’s pie has gone bad or gone bad: if mold appears or if you think there is a strange smell or appearance, it is better to throw out the whole pie.
Be aware that freezer burn can occur, especially if the food isn’t properly sealed or covered: your shepherd’s pie can develop a layer of frost that can absorb all the moisture, leaving you with inedible remains.
You should also keep in mind where your leftovers come from, because frozen foods take longer to reheat than those stored in the fridge, and usually need to be thawed sooner.
We’ve put together a fully detailed guide to help you choose the best way to reheat shepherd’s pie, so read on to find out which method is best for you.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in the oven
The first method we’re going to talk about is reheating shepherd’s pie in the oven – this is probably the safest way to reheat leftovers, even if it takes a bit longer than others.
The process of reheating Shepherd’s Pie in the oven, whether it comes from the fridge or the freezer, is basically identical – just keep in mind that if you’re going to reheat a frozen Shepherd’s Pie, you’ll need to keep it in the oven twice as long. time.
If you start from a frozen Shepherd’s Pie, you can decide whether to put it directly in the oven to cook it or let it thaw in the fridge first. Thawing in the fridge before heating usually results in a more even heating of the food, but you can skip this process if you don’t have the time.
Remember to choose an oven-safe container, such as a cast-iron skillet or baking dish such as a casserole dish, and remove any lids or covers from the fridge.
Here are the steps to reheat shepherd’s pie in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 177 degrees Celsius).
- Place the shepherd’s pie in an oven-safe bowl.
- Cover the cake with aluminum or tin foil: This is important because it will help you keep all the moisture and flavor in.
- Make the closure as airtight as possible.
- Cook for 30 minutes.
- Take the shepherd’s pie out of the oven and check if it is ready to serve with a toothpick: poke the center of the pie and check if the toothpick is hot to the touch.
- If it’s hot, your shepherd’s pie is ready to be eaten.
- If it’s not hot, cover the cake again and put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
- Remember that you will need twice the time for a frozen Shepherd’s Pie.
How to Reheat Shepherd’s Pie in the Microwave
The second method you can use is to reheat Shepherd’s Pie in the microwave, and it’s a really useful method for when you only want to reheat a small portion of Shepherd’s Pie, or when you’re in a hurry.
Modern microwaves have also improved their defrosting options, so you can easily defrost a frozen shepherd’s pie and heat it up, all in a matter of a few minutes.
The only drawback to reheating shepherd’s pie in the microwave is that if you don’t take the necessary precautions, your shepherd’s pie can end up soggy and lose its crunch and flavor.
Remember not to leave Shepherd’s Pie in the microwave for too long unchecked, otherwise you risk overcooking it or even burning some ingredients, especially if you try to reheat a vegetable Shepherd’s Pie.
Here are the steps to reheat shepherd’s pie in the microwave:
- Take the al pastor pie out of the freezer a few hours in advance if you don’t have a way to defrost it quickly, such as the microwave. If it has been stored in the refrigerator, just take it out 15 minutes in advance.
- Place the amount of shepherd’s pie you want to reheat in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Make sure the cake is evenly distributed in the pan – you don’t want to risk any cold spots from uneven heating. If you have an inverter microwave, you don’t have to worry about cold spots, but make sure the cake is distributed over the entire available surface area.
- Microwave on full power for the first 2-3 minutes, then lower the heat.
- Check your shepherd’s pie after the first few minutes, and turn the pieces over.
- If you don’t think it’s hot enough, add another 30 seconds and continue until you think it’s done.
How to reheat shepherd’s pie in a skillet
If you don’t have an oven or microwave, or if you don’t think these methods are good enough for reheating Shepherd’s Pie, you can always try reheating Shepherd’s Pie in a skillet.
It’s a fairly simple process, but you’ll need to add a few more ingredients to turn leftovers into a delicious meal.
This is a great way to get all of the original flavors of the shepherd’s pie—keep in mind that you’ll be stirring the leftovers in the pan a lot, so the pie may not retain its original shape. If this is a problem for you, it’s probably best to follow one of the other two methods.
Here are the steps to reheat shepherd’s pie in a skillet:
- Grease the pan with butter (a teaspoon should be enough).
- Heat the pan.
- Place the leftover shepherd’s pie in the skillet.
- Add more salt, more pepper and, if you like, more cheese.
- Keep stirring until evenly heated.
Can you reheat shepherd’s pie?
Of course you can reheat shepherd’s pie, and guess what? You can also make it taste almost as good as freshly baked cake, as long as you store and reheat it properly. There are some tips and tricks you can follow to get the best texture and flavor.
There are several different methods you can use to reheat shepherd’s pie, so you can choose the one you prefer based on your personal preferences, your cooking experience, or the availability of your kitchen appliances.
Remember to store your cake correctly: don’t leave it at room temperature for more than two hours, and choose the fridge if you’re going to reheat your Shepherd’s Pie in the next few days, or the freezer if you want to reheat it in the next few months.
The safest way to reheat shepherd’s pie is to use the oven – it works perfectly with frozen shepherd’s pie, as well as most foods that include potatoes or meat, and while it takes a bit of time, you can be sure you’ll end up with tasty leftovers.
You can also use the microwave if you need to reheat the cake quickly and easily: you can end up with a soggy cake using this method, so be careful and follow all the instructions above to avoid this.
The third method is to reheat the shepherd’s pie using a skillet – this is another really quick and easy way to reheat the pie, but keep in mind that it doesn’t work if you want to keep the pie’s original shape.
As long as you follow the reheating process of the methods we’ve listed above, you can also reheat your shepherd’s pie more than once. The key is to make sure the cake is heated to a high enough temperature to kill off any bacteria that may have formed.
If in doubt, remember to refer back to our step-by-step guide, to make sure you’ll enjoy your leftover shepherd’s pie for days.