Most people in the U.S. are confused about Shepherd's Pie. What we think is Shepherd's Pie is actually Cottage Pie. This one is made with beef, not lamb. It's a very satisfying and comforting dish and can be on your table in about 1 hour.
4 c. mashed potatoes from 2 lb. peeled potatoes
1 ½ lb. ground beef, 85% lean
1 onion, small diced
2 carrots, small diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T. tomato paste
1 c. beef stock
2 t. Worcestershire
1 t. thyme sprigs
½ t. salt, or to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Saute ground beef over medium-high heat until browned, 7-10 minutes; remove from skillet. Add vegetables* and garlic to beef juices in skillet; cook until soft, 7-10 minutes; reduce heat to medium; add tomato paste and flour; saute until flour is completely moistened.
Return beef to skillet; add stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme; simmer 5-10 minutes, until gravy thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer meat mixture into a greased, 8x8 baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over the meat mixture.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until top is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
4 servings.
*Add ½ lb. diced mushrooms, several stalks of celery, or 1 c. peas to the vegetable mixture being sauteed, if desired.
Tip: This dish can be frozen before baking. Then to cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook as directed. Or, cook frozen in a 350F oven, covered with foil for 1 ½ hours. Increase the heat to 400F and uncover for a final 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and the filling is bubbly.