Shepard’s Pie with Ground Beef
See also Shepard’s Pie with Bison here!
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground round beef
3-4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (The key here are the yellow ones! THE BEST!)
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups mixed vegetables, such as diced carrots, corn, green beans, and peas (I used a frozen mix of chopped veggies)
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a medium-sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Sauté the vegetables: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped veggies and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes.
Add ground beef to the pan with the vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Drain the pan of excess fat, if necessary (anything more than 1 tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out. Taste the cooked filling and, if needed, add more salt, pepper, Worcestershire, or other seasonings of your choice.
Mash the cooked potatoes: When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, taste, and add seasonings- garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Layer the meat mixture and mashed potatoes in a casserole dish: Spread the cooked filling in an even layer in a large baking dish (such as a 9 x 13-inch casserole or larger works too). Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well-browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs on the mashed potatoes.
Bake in the oven: Place in a 400°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown.
