Springy Shepherd’s Pie
A hearty shepherd’s pie with a pop of sweet peas is the perfect March meal. Serve it with a nice green salad and a slice of cake for dessert and you’ll go to bed content. As many casseroles go, the leftovers make for delightfully unfussy lunches the next day and feel like a hug on a blustery March afternoon. This is a perfect dish to make ahead of time and merely pop in the oven for a bit to warm before eating. I love meals that feel ready made, even if my past self was the one to make it.
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds ground lamb (or beef or bison works just as well!)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small sweet onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
3 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon cassava flour (or all purpose flour)
1 batch of mashed potatoes
Directions:
In a large pan, add one tablespoon of the butter and heat over medium low heat. Add the diced onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. You’ll want to season in layers every time you add a new veg. Let it soften while you chop the next veg. Add the carrots and celery with another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir slowly and let them soften as well. Pour the vegetables out onto a plate or bowl. Keep the pan on medium heat and add the other one tablespoon of butter. Once it’s melted, add the ground lamb with the teaspoon of salt and italian seasoning. Let it brown as you break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and broth to the pan and scrape the bottom to get the flavor bits unstuck. Add the cooked veg back in with the peas and flour. Let it simmer over low heat until it thickens slightly. It should have a gravy like consistency.
Pour the mixture into an 8x8 dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Spread it over evenly and take a fork to scrape lines in the potatoes. This gives little bits that get delightfully crunchy. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for about 35 minutes until bubbly on the edges and browned on top. Enjoy!
