Pub-Style Shepherd's Pie

Filling and comforting - a perfect cold weather dish.

Ingredients

  • 32 oz Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 6 oz carrots
  • 5 oz celery
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 3 tsp thyme, divided
  • 3 tsp parsley, divided
  • 4 Tbsp sour cream
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 oz tomato paste
  • 20 oz ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2-1/2 Tbsp Beef Better Than Bouillon (or veggie)
  • 1 cup white cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Heat broiler to high. Dice potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Trim, peel, and halve carrot lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick halfmoons. Finely dice celery. Halve, peel, and finely chop onion. Strip thyme leaves from stems and roughly chop leaves. Roughly chop parsley.
  2. Place potatoes in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes.
  3. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Mash with sour cream, butter, and 1 tsp thyme until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of water as needed. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat until serving.
  4. While potatoes cook, heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably ovenproof, pan over medium-high heat. Add carrot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add celery, onion, and a large drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until veggies are just tender, 5-7 minutes. (Add a splash of water if veggies begin to brown too quickly.)
  6. Stir in garlic powder and 2 tsp thyme. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
  7. Add beef to pan with veggies and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
  8. Add tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined, 1 minute.
  9. Gradually pour 3/4 cup water into pan with beef mixture. Stir in Better Than Bouillon and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is very thick, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
  10. Stir in half the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If pan is not ovenproof, transfer mixture to a baking dish.
  11. Top beef filling with an even layer of mashed potatoes, leaving a gap around edge of pan. Evenly sprinkle with cheddar.
  12. Broil until browned, 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.