My Oh My, Shepherd's Pie

(I couldn't come up with a more creative title; can you tell??)

Okay, so my cousin asked me over Rosh Hashana why I haven't put up a new recipe in, oh, eight months. And then I felt all slacker-y and lazy, but I started wondering the same thing myself! I guess I got into a rut of making the same old thing, over and over. When I'm invited out for a Shabbos meal, I get assigned salad approximately 96% of the time (I do make some good salads, if I may say so myself). I haven't hosted a Shabbos meal in, like, four months. (My roommate and I moved a few months ago to a new apartment - don't worry, we still have a great kitchen - and we've been off the hook since we started packing up the old place.) And lately, even when I cook for myself, all I seem to manage are scrambled eggs and toast....man that sounds sad.

So last night, I convinced myself to actually cook a meal. A real, wholesome, multi-ingredient meal. I decided on shepherd's pie because...well, why not? I've made it in the past, simmering meet with vegetables in a wine reduction with garlic mashed potatoes.....delicious, but labor-intensive. On a Tuesday night, I want something that comes together in an hour, start to finish, and doesn't require me to open a new bottle of wine. (Not that having an open bottle of wine is the worst thing in the world.....trust me.)

Also, since it was just me on a weekday night, I decided to go easy on myself - meaning, I paced the canned-goods aisle for ingredients. The only thing I chopped was an onion. And, my secret ingredient: condensed tomato soup. I like my savory dishes with a bit of sweetness, and I thought that the tomato soup would add that better than, say, tomato paste or tomato sauce. And I used pre-made mashed potatoes from the deli counter at the grocery store. (But, by all means, if you have more time or don't have access, just make up a batch!)

This isn't a traditional shepherd's pie. There's no cubed lamb, no red wine, it's much more liquid-y than a shepherd's pie purist would ever allow for. But it was perfection. And, okay, maybe a bottle of wine did get opened anyway....

Shepherd's Pie
(This recipe is made in a deep 8"x5" pan - perfect for 2-3 people (or one person who wants leftovers!). It can be doubled for more people and made in a 9"x13" standard pan.)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup flour

1/2 can condensed tomato soup

1 cup beef broth

1-2 tbsp. sugar, to taste

1/2 can peas and carrots, drained

Salt and pepper

3 cups prepared mashed potatoes (or homemade)

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp. olive oil

Paprika

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, or until mostly cooked through. Add the onions and continue cooking for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until the onions have softened and browned, adding the garlic for the last 2 minutes. Add the worcestershire sauce.

Sprinkle the meat and onions with the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato soup and stir to coat. Slowly add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until thick. Add sugar (to taste), peas and carrots, and salt and pepper (to taste). Pour the mixture into a greased 8"x5" pan.

Add the egg yolk to the mashed potatoes and spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture, being careful to keep it a distinct layer (don't blend it into the meat). Brush the olive oil over the potatoes lightly. Optional: run a fork over the potatoes to create lines that will crisp up in the over. Sprinkle with paprika.


Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. (Optional: bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until golden.)