Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is great when you have leftover mashed potatoes. This recipe was born out of an experiment and turned out to be one of the best dishes I make! I've gotten rave reviews from friends and family and my mom now makes it for my overly picky dad!

1 pre-made pie crust

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

3 carrots, cut into coins (par-boiled for 5 minutes)

1 small can of peas (or use 1/4 cup frozen peas)

1 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes

3 tablespoons of butter (I use Earth Balance Soy Garden)

3 tablespoons of flour

1/4 cup of beef broth

1/4 cup of dark beer

salt/pepper

olive oil

Place the pre-made pie crust in a deep casserole dish making sure the crust comes up the sides.

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sweat the diced onion. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and brown.

When the beef is browned, remove it from the skillet and set aside.

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet, being sure to scrape up any brown bits. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and let cook a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the beef broth and the beer to the flour/butter (roux) and stir until you have a nice, thick gravy. About 5-10 minutes.

Add the par-boiled carrots, peas, and beef to the gravy and stir. Place the beef and veggie mixture into the pre-made pie crust.

Spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. To brown the top, turn the broiler on for a couple minutes.