Shepherd's Pie

 Last weekend I made shepherd's pie, it's yummy comfort food. I love this recipe and Pat loves it too. It's the best shepherd's pie I think I've ever tried.

I used the recipe from Joy of Cooking...my cookbook bible. I go to this book for everything. It basically has a permanent home on our kitchen counter.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes - peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion - chopped
1 carrot - chopped
1 celery rib - chopped
1 pound of ground beef or lamb
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Pinch of nutmeg

In a large pot boil potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Mash the potatoes, add the cooking water, and then beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Set potatoes aside.

In a large skillet over low-medium heat combine olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots (I usually double up of the amount of carrots and celery). Stirring occasionally, cook until the vegetables are tender (about 10-15 mins).

Add the ground beef or lamb to the pan and cook until the meat browns (about 5-10 mins). Stir in flour and cook for two minutes. Then stir in beef or chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper. I'm fairly liberal with the spices and usually add more than the recipe calls for. Reduce heat and stir for another 5 minutes until it is thickened.

Transfer the meat to an 8x8-inch baking dish. Spread the mash potatoes over the meat, making peaks with a fork. Sprinkle pieces of butter on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400⁰F until potatoes are browned. 

Happy Cooking,