30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
* 2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
* 1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
* 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, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
* 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

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, preheat 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 in broth and
Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and
vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat 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.