KEYS & KITCHEN | MARCH 2026 Monthly Recipes from the Team Alaka'i Kitchen!

Grandma K's Shepherd's Pie

A recipe that traveled from New York to Hawaii and never left.

By Moses Bell | The Cooking Realtor, Team Alaka'i

Where This Recipe Comes From

I'll be honest with you St. Patrick's Day was never really a big deal in my family. It wasn't a holiday we went all out for. But every March, something would show up in my grandma's kitchen that made the whole month feel special: her shepherd's pie.

Here's the story, as my auntie told it to me: Back in the 1960s or '70s, Grandma made a friend from New York. That friend taught her how to make shepherd's pie, and Grandma ran with it. She made it her own, added some Hawaii touches along the way -- and turned it into something our whole family looked forward to every year while she was around and well enough to cook.

This recipe is my best attempt with my auntie's help to recreate what Grandma used to make. It's not a photocopy. Memories don't work that way. But it's close. And every time I make it, it feels like she's still in the kitchen with me.

You'll notice the shoyu. That was Grandma's move. Of course it was.

A Little About Me

I'm Moses Bell, one of the agents here on Team Alaka'i, brokered by eXp Realty. What most people don't know about me right away is that I spend just as much time in the kitchen as I do writing offers. Food is how I connect. It's how I show up for my clients, my family, and my community.

So every month, I'm bringing you a recipe that means something to me. This is Keys & Kitchen real food, real stories, from a real realtor who just happens to love to cook.

What You'll Need

For the Meat Filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef or ground lamb

• Fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme (or dried, no judgment)

• Salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons shoyu -- Grandma's signature move

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons flour + 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 cup fresh diced carrots + 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup dry red wine (optional, but it adds real depth)

For the Potato Topping:

• 1.5 to 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter. (yes, all of it)

• 1/3 cup whole milk

• Garlic powder, salt, pepper

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  
  

Pro tip: Run your cooked potatoes through a potato ricer before adding the butter. The mash comes out silky smooth. Once you do it, you won't go back.

How to Make It

Step 1: Build the Filling

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Add your ground beef or lamb, break it up, season with herbs, salt, and pepper, and brown it fully for another 6 to 8 minutes. Add Worcestershire, shoyu, and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

If you're using red wine, pour it in now and let it reduce by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the flour and tomato paste, stir until smooth, pour in the beef broth, add the frozen peas, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: Make the Mash

Boil cubed potatoes in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain, let them sit a minute to steam dry, then mash. Add butter, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir vigorously until smooth. Fold in the Parmesan. Taste it. Adjust. Smile.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake

Pour the meat filling into a 9x9-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Spoon the mash over the top and spread it out smoothly and evenly. If the dish looks very full, set it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. That resting time matters in real estate and in cooking.

Serves 4 to 6 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 50 to 60 min

What This Recipe Really Taught Me

This dish started as someone else's recipe; a friend from New York taught it to my grandma. And my grandma took it, made it hers, and passed it down. That's what great recipes do. That's what great communities do too.

Hawaii has always been a place where cultures come together and something new gets created. This shepherd's pie is a small example of a New York dish with a shoyu finish that became a family tradition in the islands.

If you're thinking about your next move in real estate whether that's buying, selling, or investing here in Hawaii, the team at Team Alaka'i is here for it. We love this community as much as Grandma loved that kitchen. Reach out anytime. We'll probably feed you too.