30 Minute Shepherd’s Pie

Food Network 4 Servings Total 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, or softened cream cheese
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ cup cream, for lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, (1 turn of the pan)
  • 1¾ pound ground beef or ground lamb
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup beef stock, or broth
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
  • ½ cup frozen peas (a couple of handfuls)
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, leaves chopped

Directions

  • Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
  • While potatoes boil, pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
  • Pre-heat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.