Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 1½ to 2 pounds potatoes (about 3 large potatoes), peeled and quartered
- milk and butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1-2 cups vegetables—diced carrots, corn, peas
- 1½ lbs ground round beef
- ½ cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 T tomato paste
- pepper, thyme other seasonings of choice
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes, whip with butter and milk
- Sauté vegetables: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions, because they take as long to cook as the onions do.
- If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time
- Add ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Season pepper and thyme.
- Add the worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes.
- Bake in oven: Place in a 400°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown.
- Suggested variations:
- Put a layer of creamed corn between the ground beef and the mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes before baking.