Milk Ladder Recipes: Stage 5 – Shepherd’s Pie

Once you have completed the previous steps of the milk ladder, you can move on to stage 5. It is quite a nerve-wracking stage as you are giving oven-heated milk products as opposed to baked milk or pan-fried. But as long as you take it slowly there is no reason to worry. about an allergic reaction.

Stage 5 of the milk ladder is Shepherd’s Pie, with minced beef cooked as normal but with specific measurements for the dairy additions to the mashed potato topping. If there is no immediate reaction or delayed reactions to the food each time then the stage is deemed complete.

This post will talk you through everything you need to complete the stage based on our own experience with two children with a cow’s milk protein allergy.

If you are dealing with severe allergies then speak to a health professional or your allergy team to make sure you avoid any severe reactions.

What is the milk ladder?

When your child is diagnosed with a cow’s milk allergy or perhaps a milk intolerance (lactose intolerance), you’ll hear about The Milk Ladder briefly. Your first priority though will be dealing with milk intake, whether that is cutting out dairy in your own diet so you can breastfeed or switching to a dairy-free formula if you are feeding with a bottle.

But, as time moves on and you get closer to the weaning stage, you will begin to think about what you can and cannot feed your little one and how to go about reintroducing dairy again. And this is where The Milk Ladder comes in.

It is called a ladder because you have to move up through the stages, one by one, slowly giving greater amounts of dairy in various forms such as milk biscuits and scotch pancakes – all the way through to a glass of fresh milk. It isn’t a complicated process, but it is a great source of worry to many parents as they do not want to cause any reactions or discomfort by altering their child’s diet.

An allergy sufferer may never reach the top of the ladder to be able to drink a glass of milk, but they will be able to reach a point of being able to eat a more varied selection of foods – eliminating the need to check every single food label everywhere they go.

Everyone goes at their own pace – there is absolutely no rush – and if a stage is not completed due to a reaction then you can always try again at a later date.

You can read more about CMPA allergies here if you want to find out more.

How much dairy should I give?

The process of introducing a new food to a child is always the same. You should give one portion on day 1 and then monitor for any reactions. If you notice a rash, tummy upset or anything else unusual then stop the process. However, if there are no reactions then you can give another portion on day 2 and then again on day 3.

Sometimes, it can take a few days for the reaction to show, particularly with a lactose intolerance as the lactose builds up in the system. So, three days will give you a real indication as to whether there are any adverse reactions to the stage. And if all is well you can move on to the next step.

Stage 5 – Shepherd’s Pie

This is the first step on the ladder that doesn’t bake or pan-fry the dairy as an ingredient. If you can complete this step then it is a great indication that you’ll get much further up the ladder where dairy isn’t incorporated into anything at all.

Of course, even if you do encounter a reaction that doesn’t mean you’ll never get higher on the ladder. It simply means it isn’t time to progress right now but you can remain at the stage you’ve already completed.

Now, what makes this different to a normal Shepherds Pie is the specific amounts of dairy (those noted in bold).

The method is otherwise the same as a standard recipe. If you wanted to cook a meal for the whole family, disregard the quantities stated for the meat element and simply create a separate amount of mashed potato for the purpose of the milk ladder.

Makes 8 child sized portions

Ingredients

• 650g of mince (your choice as to which)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 900g potatoes
• 55g butter
• 100mls milk
• 40g grated cheese

Method

• Peel and chop the potatoes and place them in a pan to boil.
• Chop the onion and fry with a little oil until softened. Add in the mince and keep stirring until it is browned.
• Add in the herbs, mixing them in thoroughly before adding the tomato puree and vegetable stock.
• When the potatoes are soft enough to mash, drain them and return to the pan. Add in the butter and the milk and mash together.
• Once the mince mixture has reduced down, remove from the heat and pour into an ovenproof dish.
• Scoop the mashed potato on top of the mince, flattening it down and raking it with the prongs of a fork to create the ploughed field look.
• Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and grill until the cheesy mash is golden in colour.

If you are anxious about the amount of dairy products per portion then give your child a half portion of mash in the beginning and build it up. Or, start off without the cheese and add it in for day 2. Trust your gut, it is always right.

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Once you’ve completed 3 successful days of Shepherd’s Pie, the next step in your milk ladder journey is Stage 6 – Lasagne. Good luck!