Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup half and half
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 zucchini, julienned
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon  paprika
• 4 ounces cheese, grated
• Mushroom Onion Gravy, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Boils potatoes.  Drain potatoes, return to pot, and mash together with 3 tablespoons of the butter and the half and half. Season with salt, garlic, and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
In a large pan brown ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in tomato paste and saute for a few minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer.  Remove mixture to a bowl. In the same pan, add remaining butter and oil and saute onions until almost tender, then add red bell pepper, zucchini, carrots and paprika. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
To assemble, in a 9 by 12-inch baking dish layer half of beef, pressing down to pack in, then sprinkle the cheese on evenly. Pour the remaining half of the beef over the cheese and press down. Next, add the sauteed vegetables and top with the mashed potatoes, spreading out with a spatula or the back of a spoon to even out and to form decorative peaks and valleys. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake for 30 minutes or until edges on potatoes turn golden brown. Serve with Mushroom Onion Gravy.

Mushroom Onion Gravy

nocoupons

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute onions and mushrooms in oil until tender and mushrooms release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir to evenly coat. Slowly whisk in wine and then the broth. Simmer until thickened and season with salt and pepper, to taste.