justJENN crafts

Tyler Florence makes me want to cook. And he's cute too.
Here is his recipe for Shepherd's Pie. If you don't know what that is, it's basically a ground beef 'stew' covered with a yummy jacket of mashed potatoes. How could you go wrong, really? I changed it here and there, but it's basically the same.
Super easy, super delish!

In gredients:
mashed potatoes:
4 or 5 big russet potatoes, peeled quartered
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 a stick unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper

the pie
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 container of mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup canned low sodium beef broth
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups Mashed Potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Start off by making the mashed potatoes. Here's a tip, if you cut the potatoes into small pieces, they will boil WAY FASTER than if you just toss them in whole. When they are done, drain the potatoes, mash them, and add the butter and the milk.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the beef, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

On to the pie. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Start off by making a mirepoix. If you don't know what mirepoix is, it's a perfect triumvirate of carrots, onions, and celery, diced into the same size.

Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Why both? Olive oil won't burn at high temps and the butter adds flavor.What am I, a teacher? Just do it. It's good.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 2-quart oval casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edge.

That last part is super important! If you don't leave that space, the beef will bubble over and you'llhave a whole bunch of trouble on your hands. Come to think of it, make sure you put the casserole dish on a cookie sheet before you put it in the oven. That will catch any 'spillage.'

Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.