Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 pounds ground beef and/or lamb (see note)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (see note)
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or thyme or oregano)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 pounds mashing potatoes (use your favorite potatoes)
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:

Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, garlic and carrots. Cook over a moderate heat until softened. Set aside.

Add remaining oil to the pan, add the meat and cook until lightly colored, approximately 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir, and cook for an additional minute.

Add the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bay leaf and stir. Add the onion mixture, stir and bring to boil, then gently simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes. Add a little more broth if it becomes dry.

Remove bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes into a large saucepan of salted water and bring to boil. Cook over moderate heat for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

Drain potatoes, return them to the pan, add butter, and mash with a little milk. The mash needs to remain firm. Beat with a wooden spoon to make potatoes fluffy.

Spoon the meat filling into a lasagna size pan. Spread the mash over the top. Fluff the mash with a fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden.

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