Shepherd's Pie

Rebecca's recipe.  I don't particularly love shepherd's pie, but thought if I make it how I want, maybe I would like it.  I found Rachael Ray's recipe and it sounded good.  I actually made quite a bit of changes, but the base is the same.  Here is what I did.

potatoes (I had and used 6 very small potatoes) (or I buy 24oz Bob Evans Microwavable Mashed Potatoes!!)

milk, salt, butter for mashed potatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground beef (mine was already cooked and probably will be in the future)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

onion powder

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup beef stock or broth

1 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it

1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls

Handful cheddar cheese

Make mashed potatoes.  Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

Start boiling potatoes, cook carrots in microwave, and preheat skillet over medium high heat. Cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add cooked ground beef into gravy to heat all the way through.  Add onion powder, salt, pepper.  Add peas and cooked carrots.  Turn on low just to keep warm.

Finish mashed potatoes. Mix cheese in mashed potatoes. Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small square casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned (5-10 minutes maybe).  

**If you make ahead and chill in refrigerator, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or heat through.  This is what I like to do.

Original recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/30-minute-shepherds-pie-recipe.html