Is it okay to make shepherds pie without brown sauce?

When I make shepherd's pie I usually saute ground beef with garlic and onions, then drain off the fat and add a can of cream of mushroom soup or cheese soup. Stir it well, then layer some mashed potatoes on top, add some grated cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Instead of the soup you could add some brown gravy or even a can of baked beans. You can get packet mixes to make shepherd's pie but I usually just make it from scratch and it comes out nicely. I am attaching a couple of links so you can see some different recipe ideas for it.

When I make shepherd's pie I usually saute ground beef with garlic and onions, then drain off the fat and add a can of cream of mushroom soup or cheese soup. Stir it well, then layer some mashed potatoes on top, add some grated cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Instead of the soup you could add some brown gravy or even a can of baked beans. You can get packet mixes to make shepherd's pie but I usually just make it from scratch and it comes out nicely. I am attaching a couple of links so you can see some different recipe ideas for it.

The 'Sauce' is a product of browning the Beef or Lamb with a small amount of Flour, Worcestershire sauce, Tomato paste and liquid or stock...it is not something you add from a jar. Its Easy-Peasy...Heres a couple videos of the preparation to show how its done. http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/30-minute-shepherds-pie-video/32679.html http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2/index.html

You could use white sauce/gravy. Or you could use cream of whatever soup in a can. But yes the brown sauce can be made quite simply by using the drippings from your meat. Presuming you are starting with raw meat and browning it first, it will give off the bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pan, and it will give off some fat. You need 2 tablespoons of this cooking fat, but drain the rest from your pan and leave the brown bits there! Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour to this, mash it together to make a paste. Then thin it out with some water, milk, wine, or chicken or beef stock, and whisk it together. As it cooks it will loosen the brown bits from your pan (deglaze it), and it will thicken back up, reduce in volume a little bit, and intensify the flavor. That is brown sauce...no need to buy a separate product.

Yeah, I think a white sauce would work fine. I also make a really simple and easy shepherds pie. You just brown some hamburger meat and put it in a casserole dish. Then you make mashed potatoes and put that on the meat then sprinkle the top with cheese. Then you put it in the oven until the cheese is melted. It's really good.

Brown sauce? Do you mean gravy? If you have oxo cubes that will make the gravy. If it is too liquidy, add flour (or cornflour) to thicken it up. And no, you do not use creme fraiche in shepherds pie.

A white sauce wouldn't make it authentic, and you don't need creme fraiche. If you don't have brown sauce, use can use some soya sauce while frying the meat.

Yeah

You could use white sauce/gravy. Or you could use cream of whatever soup in a can. But yes the brown sauce can be made quite simply by using the drippings from your meat. Presuming you are starting with raw meat and browning it first, it will give off the bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pan, and it will give off some fat. You need 2 tablespoons of this cooking fat, but drain the rest from your pan and leave the brown bits there! Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour to this, mash it together to make a paste. Then thin it out with some water, milk, wine, or chicken or beef stock, and whisk it together. As it cooks it will loosen the brown bits from your pan (deglaze it), and it will thicken back up, reduce in volume a little bit, and intensify the flavor. That is brown sauce...no need to buy a separate product.