Shepard's Pie

This recipe needs time to cool down and set a little so that the layers don't mix together. I didn't read that and made the recipe with no time so I didn't let anything cool and it still turned out really good! The meat gravy is what is advised to cool down. The leftovers were really good too!

Meat Gravy:

1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 C carrots, finely chopped

1 lb ground beef (original recipe called for ground chuck round, I didn't have it)

1/4 C white flour

1/2 C frozen peas

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (any flavor)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 3/4 C beef broth

1/2 C 100% grape juice 

1 beef bouillon cube

2 Tbsp Worcestershire

1 tsp dried thyme

Topping:

2 1/2 lbs potatoes (I used Yukon gold and they were delicious)

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 C sour cream

6 Tbps butter

salt & pepper to taste

Pour olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and chopped onions and heat stirring often. Add the finely chopped carrots and celery. Cook until the veggies are soft. Remove veggies into a bowl. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain the excess fat. Add back the veggies. Add in the flour and cook for about a minute continuously stirring. Still on medium high heat add frozen peas, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, grape juice, beef bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer for 25-35 minutes at medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes until the gravy is thickened. Remove from heat pour into a casserole dish and cover. Let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. (This is what I did not do and it still turned out great!)

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel then cube the potatoes in small chunks. Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover the potatoes. Add some salt and bring to a boil.  Let them boil until the potatoes are soft and you can poke easily with a fork. Drain the water and remove the potatoes into a bowl to be smashed. In the pot add heavy cream, sour cream, and butter. Melt on low heat and stir. Smash the potatoes with a masher and then add them to the pot with the cream. Stir to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp). Add mashed potatoes on top of the meat gravy in the casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes turn golden and the edges are bubbly. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes to get the top of the potatoes crispy.