Shepherd's Pie

 

Shepherd's Pie.  One of many comforting winter dishes one can make when she has a case of the "I need some cozy."  I've never made this before because my husband's dislike of beef keeps me away from a lot of traditional beef recipes.  Since he wasn't going to be home for dinner the other night, I went ahead and put it on the menu.  But I made it with ground turkey anyway.

This was delicious, and much easier than I thought shepherd's pie would be to make.  I ran out of cheddar, so I substituted it with monterey jack.  As usual, I couldn't be bothered to measure out tomato paste or use a partial can, so I just used a whole 8oz can of it, and I also used skim milk.

This was very yummy and very comforting.  I enjoyed it, and will be having the leftovers soon.  Hungry Baby ate and ate and ate it.  Big Brother picked at it.

I thought ahead and made this in two pans.  I put one directly in Pyrex and the other I put foil underneath it then froze the foil one.  I then wrapped the foil around the food and put in a freezer zipper bag.  Cook once, eat twice!

• 2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4), peeled and thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced
• 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (6 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set beef filling aside.
3. Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.
4. Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

From Everyday Food, October 2008

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie - Martha Stewart Recipes