Shepherd's Pie

This particular recipe can be found on Abondante Living. It's a real hit around here.

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie

Prep time 45 minutes | Total time 1.25 hours | Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 6 large russet potatoes
• ½ - 1 cup light cream or milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 pound ground lamb or ground beef
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup beef broth
• Paprika
• Cheese (optional)

Peel and cube potatoes. Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add the cubed potatoes and bring back to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer potatoes until tender – about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of cubes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion, carrots and celery in 3 tablespoons olive oil for about 5 – 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Brown the ground lamb or ground beef. Drain and set aside.

Add the flour to the remaining fat left in the sauté pan. Let it cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Then add beef stock, herbs and salt and pepper. Return the meat and sautéed vegetables to gravy mixture. When thickened, pour into a casserole dish.

Use an electric mixer to beat the cooked potatoes. Add the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add cream or milk until desired consistency.

Cover the meat mixture with the creamed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. You can also top the pie with grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.