New favorite Shepherds Pie

Before last week, I don't think I've ever had a shepherds pie. :) Now, this recipe is in my favorites book. (aka hanging on my fridge- that's where all the good recipes go!)

This recipe was also one of those things where I didn't have what I needed, so I subbed/changed/added whatever. It turned out really yummy!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Black pepper to taste
1lb ground meat. I used turkey
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, peeled and finely diced
4-5 celery chutes, really finely diced
lots of fresh thyme (or you can use the dried stuff)
2 tablespoons flour
butter
6 oz red wine
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
2-3 lbs ish mashed potatoes
8 oz block of gouda cheese, shredded
garlic powder or garlic salt

There are two parts. The meaty vegetable part, and the mashed potato part. :)

Mashed potatoes:
Cut up potatoes with the skin still on, boil them until soft.
Strain potatoes.
Beat with butter, water, garlic salt, pepper, and gouda cheese. Apply butter liberally. :) Taste. Add as much garlic salt and pepper until it is to your liking.

Mashed potatoes are done. You will layer these on top of the meat/veggie mixture.

Meat veggie mixture: This is a little more involved.

In a large pan with olive oil and liberal amounts of thyme, saute the carrots, onion, garlic, and celery until soft. Add the 1 pound of meat. Brown. (THIS IS IMPORTANT: If you use a fatty meat, strain, and substitute the 1 cup water with chicken broth. If you use a non fatty meat, 94% lean and above, do not strain. Use the 1 cup water in the following steps.)

Sprinkle with flour. Stir until mixed well, and no clumps of flour remain.

Add ketchup, wine, and worcestershire sauce. Let this reduce slightly.

Add water. (unless you used fatty meat and strained. Then use 1 cup chicken broth.)

Let this mixture simmer. Reduce until it is a thin gravy consistency. Add garlic salt, pepper, more thyme, rosemary etc... (season to your taste)

THEN YOU PUT IT TOGETHER:

Grease a 13x9x2. Pour all the meaty gravy mixture in pan. Then spoon or pipe on the mashed potatoes.

Bake at 400 until the potatoes are slightly browned, about 20 minutes!