Shepherd's Pie

In the "old days" shepherd's pie was made with roast beef, gravy, vegetables, and mashed potatoes--the leftovers from Sunday dinner. I used to make it when I had leftover mashed potatoes, but then later I went to all the trouble of making the mashed potatoes so that we could have Shepherd's Pie. The key to the flavor is in browning the beef and carmelizing the onions to develop richness and then making a gravy with the results. Heavenly!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 1  large onion, sliced
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1  teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
•  salt and pepper
• 1  cup water (more or less)
• 1 1⁄2-2  cups  frozen peas or 1 1⁄2-2  cups  mixed vegetables
• 3 -4  cups mashed potatoes

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef very well on medium high in a large fry pan stirring frequently.
2. (Add a little vegetable oil if necessary.) Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are slightly browned.
3. Keep an eye on this so that the mixture doesn't burn.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and onion mixture and stir until all the flour has been absorbed.
5. Cook 2 or 3 minutes stirring frequently.
6. Add water and the Worcestershire sauce and stir to dissolve browned particles stuck to the bottom of the pan.
7. Let bubble on low for about five minutes.
8. Add more water if it's too thick.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste and possibly more Worcestershire sauce.
10. Place meat mixture in the bottom of a large casserole dish.
11. Put frozen peas on top of this and then the mashed potatoes.
12. Bake in 350F oven for about a half hour or until bubbly.
13. Let rest about 15 minutes before serving.