Shepherd's Pie

This is the one dish that all the kids (and teachers) would run to the cafeteria to get on a day when it was served.  It's got it all: meat, starch, veggies, and cheese!  I got this recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

• 2 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• ½ stick of butter
• ½ C. half and half
• 2 t. kosher salt (1 t. in the boiling water, 1 t. in the mashed potatoes)
• ¼ t. ground black pepper
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 egg

Meat Filling:

• 1 lb. of ground chuck
• 1 lb. of ground pork
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 C. baby carrots, chopped
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. black pepper
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ¼ C. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t. rosemary
• 1 t. thyme
• 1 C. frozen corn
• 1 C. frozen peas

• ½ lb. of sharp cheddar cheese, sliced thick 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until they are soft
3. In a skillet, brown the ground meat and pork with the salt, pepper, and Tony’s on medium heat, about 5 -7 minutes
4. Strain the meat and reserve
5. Strain the potatoes, add the butter, return the potatoes to the pot
6. Whip the potatoes with a mixer, adding the half and half, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and finally the egg
7. Reserve the potatoes
8. In the same skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat and sauté the onions and carrots until limp, about 10 minutes
9. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
10. Add the meat and coat with the flour
11. Cook for 2 minutes
12. Add the tomato paste and coat the meat
13. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, and thyme
14. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes
15. Add the peas and corn and stir thoroughly
16. Spread the meat mixture into a 13” x 9” x 2” baking dish
17. Using a spatula, spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture, carefully sealing the edges of the pan with the potatoes
18. Add the sliced cheese on top of the potatoes
19. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the cheese melts and starts to slightly brown
20. Allow the pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving

Tips and Tricks:

• You should be able to cut this casserole into squares to serve.  Getting the first square out is the hardest, like with lasagna, but after that it isn’t bad.
• I think this actually tastes better the next day after it sits in the refrigerator overnight.  You can make this the day before you want to serve it, put in the refrigerator, and bake it the day it is to be served.