Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie - made January 9, 2020 from The Wholesome Dish

Trying to catch up from what I've made earlier but hadn't posted in chronological order. So I'm going back to early January when I was still cooking (spoiler alert: currently in my I-don't-feel-like-cooking part of the program).

I've always liked the concept of shepherd's pie: beef layer on the bottom covered by mashed potatoes on top. I don't eat it "outside", i.e. in a restaurant, that often because an authentic shepherd's pie often has vegetables like peas, carrots, sometimes beans, in the meat mixture. And picking those out of the pie makes the dish more work than it's often worth. But hey, when I make it myself, I can leave out the ingredients I don't like and only include what I do like, e.g. corn. I don't have any good pictures of this dish (ideally, it would be neat little squares with two distinct layers) but don't be put off by how it looks in my pictures. This was delicious. Even though it has two separate components and takes a little time to make, it's pretty tasty. Bonus that I already had those herbs and spices on hand, thanks to my past Penzey's orders.

Meat Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots (I left them out)
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (I used canned)

Potato Topping
1 1/2 - 2 lbs russet potatoes
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
2. Add the ground beef and break apart with a wooden spoon. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the ground beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir until well incorporated and tomato paste is incorporated with no lumps.
5. Add the broth and vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set mixture aside.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Make the potato topping: place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.
8. Drain the potatoes in a colander then return to the hot pot. Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.
9. Add the butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes and stir until the ingredients are mixed together.
10. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until well combined.
11. Assemble the casserole: Pour the meat mixture into a 9 x 9 baking dish and spread in an even layer. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat and spread into an even layer.
12. Place baking dish on rimmed baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.