Judy Garland's 'Fluffy And Delicious' Shepherd's Pie Relies On This Special Ingredient

A descendant of the much older cottage pie — a peasant dish that used leftover cooked meat and vegetables sandwiched between layers of boiled, sliced potatoes and baked in a casserole — shepherd's pie is a simple dish that originated in the late 19th century, possibly in Scotland. Cottage pie's sliced potatoes later gave way to mashed potatoes, and it became standard practice to fill the base with beef. Shepherd's pie was similar in concept, but traditionally used lamb. The recipe for cottage pie has mostly remained unchanged, but preparations for shepherd's pie can vary greatly nowadays. Chicken fillings have become common alongside plant-based options, and throughout the British Commonwealth and its former colonies, locals have put their own twists on the humble staple.

In the United States, shepherd's pie is often relegated to the weeknight casserole category — a quick meal tossed together to feed a crowd. However, one American cultural icon elevated this British classic into centerpiece material. The late Judy Garland, most famously known for her role as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," shared a recipe that simultaneously honored tradition and embraced innovation. Published in a 1967 edition of The Evening Sun, Garland's take on shepherd's pie uniquely combined lamb and chicken (via Newsday, Inc.).

What's most interesting about her method is that she roasted a leg of lamb until it was medium-rare, then ground it. She did the same with poached chicken. According to Garland, the finished dish "comes out looking like a birthday cake, all fluffy and delicious."

Grinding cooked meats to put into a pie can give the filling a pasty, almost solid texture, similar to a croquette. Judy Garland remedied this by moistening her mélange of proteins with chicken and beef stock. She also added condensed cream of mushroom soup, which gives the filling a silky creaminess and umami from the mushrooms. You can find plenty of top-ranked canned mushroom soup brands at the store, or you can add some béchamel sauce to the mix along with reconstituted dried fungi. For seasoning, the "Meet Me in St. Louis" star included a good amount of chopped fresh dill, which adds a fresh, lemony accent to the filling that elevates the subtle flavors of the chicken breast while complementing the tangy gaminess of the roast lamb.

The mashed potato topping is also fairly out of the ordinary in that it includes caraway seeds, whose unique, almost medicinal perfume offsets the intense flavor of the lamb and balances the overall richness of the dish, similar to how nutmeg functions in a creamy sauce. The rest of her ingredients are tried-and-true additions for great mashed spuds: chicken stock, sour cream, milk, and chives. She also calls for instant mashed potato flakes, which have fallen out of favor in recent years but actually help you control the moisture of your mash, enabling you to replace the natural water content of fresh potatoes with something richer or more flavorful. Judy's most important tip, though, is to "be sure to give yourself lots of time."