Shepherd's Pie

The other day my friend Amber accompanied me to the grocery store, since I had to do my shopping in the evening. She was picking up a few things she needed, too, including the ingredients to make shepherd's pie. As soon as she said the words I knew I had to make it! I haven't in so long, and I'm really not sure why. Probably my Oldest Girl's aversion to potatoes.

Anyway, here's my take on the classic ...

Shepherd's Pie

Pastry for a single crust pie - I use Jeni's Perfect Pie Crust with some changes: cornmeal in place of the sugar, water instead of apple juice, and regular vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.

3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup green peas
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg

In a large skillet, saute the garlic, onion, and carrots in the oil until they begin to soften. Add the ground beef and cook until the veggies are tender and beef is thoroughly browned. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper, and paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the broth and vinegar, stirring constantly. Add in the peas and herbs. Adjust the seasonings if needed and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes until tender; drain. Mash them with the milk, butter and sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste; stir in the egg.

Roll out the pastry and fit it into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Pour in the beef mixture and top with the shredded cheese, then the potatoes. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Now obviously you could streamline this process with store-bought crust and even the mashed potatoes can be purchased. But as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, you'll be so glad you put in the extra effort for this fantastic meal!