Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

Filling

• 1½ lbs ground beef
• 1 large onions, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbs concentrated tomato purée (Tomato paste will substitute)
• 1 tbs tomato ketchup
• 2 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 bottle of Guinness
• 12 oz peas (or one small can)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mash

• 1½ kg Vivaldi Potatoes (or other potatoes suitable for mash)
• 100 g parmesan cheese
• 25 g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• Black pepper

Directions

1. Cook Mushrooms: Heat a pan with equal parts oil and butter. Sauté onions until translucent, then add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and red wine to deglaze. Cook until tender; set aside.
2. Brown Beef: In a heavy pot, brown ground beef over medium heat (no extra oil needed). When some liquid renders, add garlic and cook until beef is lightly browned.
3. Build Filling: Add onion and carrot, cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée, ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon, thyme, oregano, and crumble in the stock cube.
4. Deglaze & Simmer: Add Guinness to deglaze. Stir in peas and mushrooms, cover, and simmer until most liquid evaporates.
5. Make Mash: Boil and drain potatoes. Mash with butter and most of the Parmesan (add other cheese if desired). This can be made ahead.
6. Assemble: Pour thickened filling into a roasting dish and let cool ~20 minutes. Spread mashed potatoes on top, use a fork to create ridges, and finish with remaining Parmesan and black pepper.
7. Bake: Bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes until the topping is golden. Serve warm with a salad and crusty bread.

Chef's Notes

• You can also add shredded cheddar and a little melted butter to the top before baking. That will give it some good flavor and a nice color, but either or both are completely optional.