Shepard's Pie

This dish is my wife's favorite dish!!!

Tonight I am going to revamp this classic dish, so lets head out to the store:

• We are using a 2.5 lb ribeye (it was on special at $2.99 a pound). Ground beef works as well.
• Bacon
• Carrots
• Onions
• Peas
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• Green onions
• Butter
• Flour
• Russet potatoes
• Heavy cream
• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese
• Beef stock
• Fresh thyme 

If you are going to ground your own beef, you will want to get a piece that has a good amount of fat.

Cube beef and 5 strips of bacon. Place in freezer for 45 minutes (slightly frozen meat goes through the grinder more easily) and then push through grinder.

Brown beef, strain and set aside. If you are using already ground beef but still want the bacon flavor, cut the bacon and cook over medium heat and reserve the fat to cook the vegetables in. This will give your dish a nice smokey flavor.

Peel 6 potatoes and cut into medium dice size pieces. Place in cold, salted water and bring to a boil.

An easy way to know when potatoes are done is by sticking a skewer or knife into a potato and if it slides off easily, potato is done.

Strain, and return to hot pan on medium heat, this well help all the water to evaporate.

With a mixer, beat potatoes with 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 stick of butter, and 1/4 cup heavy cream, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Small dice onions and carrots, and saute them in a pot that can also go in the oven, You will want to use the same pot you brown the beef in. The pan already has nice flavor and it will be less to clean later!

Add thyme, and make a roux in pan (equal parts butter and flour).

Cook on low heat so you do not burn the flour.

Add crushed tomatoes, 1 cup of beef stock, and cooked ground beef.

Adjust seasoning, and simmer until nice and thick. Add peas. Stirring frequently will not allow mixture to stick to pan and burn.

Top with mashed potatoes

Cover meat mixture completely, and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

I love cooking one pot meals that are finished in the oven because it allows me the time to clean before dinner.

With the leftover beef stock and thyme, you can make a nice gravy.

Bring beef stock to a boil, make another roux. Add the roux to the boiling beef stock season and add fresh thyme.

Enjoy!!!