The Creamy Side You Should Add To Homemade Shepherd's Pie

We have the Brits to thank for some interesting culinary traditions, including the steamed pudding dish called spotted dick and some rather unique dining etiquette rules. And while English food is occasionally characterized as simple, all is forgiven when it comes to shepherd's pie. This hearty, comforting meal typically combines lamb with a variety of vegetables, all of which gets topped with mashed potatoes. But David Davidov, recipe developer and creator of The Cooking Foodie, shared with Food Republic his personal twist on the recipe: the addition of creamed corn.

"Creamed corn adds natural sweetness and creaminess that balance the savory, rich meat filling," he explained of his unconventional (at least this side of the Atlantic) choice. "Shepherd's pie can be very hearty and deep in flavor, so the corn brings freshness and contrast."

Further, Davidov asserted, creamed corn helps keep the dish — typically baked in a hot oven for half an hour — moist. This is actually a pretty common recommendation on social media for solving dry shepherd's pie, so if you've made the meal in the past and found the texture too dehydrated for your liking, give creamed corn a chance as part of your next filling.

Since creamed corn isn't a traditionally British addition to shepherd's pie, you might be wondering how exactly to incorporate it into the dish. While David Davidov admitted to enjoying it as a side, he also appreciates it as an extra layer of filling, under the mashed potato. And though he did acknowledge that the creamed corn could be mixed into the mashed potatoes, "I prefer to keep the potato topping mostly classic. Let the corn shine without stealing the spotlight," he instructed.

He also had suggestions for different ways to dress the creamed corn before layering it into the dish. You can keep it simple with a bit of salt and white pepper, Davidov told us, and a little butter never goes amiss. "If I want to highlight the sweetness, I sometimes add just a tiny touch of nutmeg or even a few drops of honey," he recommended.

As for how much you'll need, try a 14-ounce can for an 8x8- or 11x7-inch baking dish. If you're using a 9x13-inch casserole dish, you might want to up that amount to a can and a half. It can be difficult to spread the mashed potatoes over the creamed corn without infusing the layers somewhat, but try dolloping the taters all over the corn and then smoothing them out gently using a spatula or the back of a spoon. If you have time beforehand, you can also use this genius freezer hack for fast shepherd's pie, which removes this tricky layering step altogether!