Lara's Shepherd's Pie

Lara and I have wanted to make shepherd's pie for some time now. Neither of us had ever had it before, but a hearty, warm beef and veggie mixture topped by creamy mashed potatoes has sounded good all winter. With some leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, and the temperature outside a little colder than I would like it, this was the perfect week to make it.

After some recipe research online, Lara came up with this very tasty recipe. We just used the vegetables we had in the fridge and freezer, but I'm sure you could throw whatever you like in the meat mixture. There's no right or wrong way to do this, just make sure you do it sometime soon!

Dinner Time!

Some aromatics and veggies

Just a little beef broth

Throw them in a pan and let them sweat a little

Throw in the beef (next time I want to try lamb!)

Cook it all up

Ladle into some oven proof bowls

Up close to all the heartiness

Frost the meat with mashed potatoes

Bake them up

The best part, EAT!

Note: This recipe was perfect for Lara and me. It would be easy to double the recipe to serve more.


Shepherd's Pie
by Lara
Ingredients

• 1/2 an onion, diced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 large carrot, diced 
• 1/2 lb ground beef 
• thyme 
• parsley 
• 1 Tbs flour 
• 1 Tbs tomato paste 
• 1/2 c tomato paste 
• 1/4 cup red wine 
• 1/2 c frozen peas 
• salt 
• pepper 
• Mashed potatoes 

Directions
Heat oil in a pan, add onion, garlic, carrot, a little salt and cook over medium heat until soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the ground beef and thyme and parsley to taste. When meat is cooked through (after draining fat if desired), add the flour and cook for a minute or two.Next add tomato paste and combine for a minute. Then add in the beef broth and wine. Bring to a boil and let the mixture thicken and reduce for a couple minutes. Add the frozen peas and let them heat through. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the mixture into two oven proof soup bowls and top with the desired amount of mashed potatoes. Put the bowls in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Pull out a big spoon and enjoy!