Mel’s Shepherd’s Pie
One 9x13 dish
(Mel's Pic)
POTATO LAYER:
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled
and chopped (about 4-5 cups)
2 TB butter
½ - 1 cup milk (add slowly to
decide how much)
½ c. Parmesan cheese
½ c. shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
Salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg yolk
MEAT FILLING:
2 pounds ground beef or turkey,
etc
1 c. chopped onion
2 large carrots chopped small
(about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
3 TB flour
1 TB tomato paste
1 ¼ c. low-sodium beef or
chicken broth
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
½ c. frozen corn kernels (frozen
is WAY better here than canned)
½ c. frozen peas (**don’t use
the carrots/corn/peas frozen trio bag, not the same.)
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan with
cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-2
inches of water. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or
so (it will depend on how large or small the potatoes are cut) until the
potatoes are tender. **Start meat mixture while potatoes are cooking**(see
below)
Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Mash the potatoes lightly.
Add the butter, milk (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed), Parmesan and
cheddar cheeses, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder. Mash together
until smooth and creamy. Stir in the egg yolk until combined.
For the meat and vegetable mixture, in a large over medium heat, add
the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the
meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are
starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain any excess grease from the
mixture.
Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high
heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth,
Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and
continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Stir in the corn and peas.
Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mashed potatoes
over the top all the way to the edges of the pan creating a seal over the meat
mixture. Sprinkle the 1 cup cheddar over the top of the potatoes.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden and the casserole is
bubbling. Let it rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.
