MOM'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

First things first, cooking is always better with a glass of wine in your hand. So before you start this one, you may need to pour a glass. I'm not going to lie to you, this recipe takes a while to make, and there is very little downtime in the process. Everything is from scratch, which takes time, but it is well worth it. I'm also not going to lie to you and tell you that this recipe is good for your waistline because, frankly, it is not. But you guys...this recipe is so darn good. It is comfort food at it's finest, and is perfect for when you're feeling a little bit homesick or craving some of your mama's cooking.

Nobody makes this recipe better than my mom, but I sure did try. Here goes nothing...

Mom's Shepherd's Pie

>>Ingredients (for a single batch -- I almost always double it)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup baby carrots, diced small
1 lb ground beef
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into small chunks
4 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
2-3 cups beef broth

>>Directions (The teacher in me wants to tell you to read through the directions before you start the recipe, as you can do several of these at once (i.e. boiling potatoes and sauteing veggies).)

>>Mashed Potato Layer
01 | Peel and dice potatoes. Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork-tender. Whip potatoes with electric mixer (or by hand with potato masher) until moderately smooth. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Salt & Pepper to taste. Whip until mixed well. If potatoes are too thick, you can add milk to thin them out a bit.

>>Vegetable & Meat Layer
02 | In large pan, saute onions, corn, and carrots in olive oil until onions and carrots are tender. Remove from heat and set aside in a separate bowl.

03 | Brown ground beef in the same pan the veggies were in. Remove from heat, drain, and mix in veggies.

>>Gravy
04 | Melt 4 tablespoons butter in small pan. Whisk in flour. Slowly add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat until gravy thickens. Stir constantly.

05 | Pour gravy onto meat/vegetable mixture. Stir until well combined.

06 | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray casserole dish (I used our Dutch oven -- love!). Pour the meat and veggies into the bottom of the dish. Layer mashed potatoes on the top and spread until well covered.

07 | Bake for approximately 35 - 45 minutes (45 worked for me) until top is golden brown.

Enjoy! This dish can be wonderful with whatever mixture of veggies you want. I think string beans or peas would be wonderful too! Be sure when you're storing it that you don't mix the potato and meat layers together. It's much better if they stay semi-separate. :)

xo eden