Shepherd's Pie (Beef & Cheddar Martha Stewart)

shepherdspiecheddartopping A little cheese finishes this favourite comfort food dinner in style.

2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (~ 4 medium)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, such as safflower
6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large and thinly sliced
6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ cup tomato paste
2 lbs ground beef chuck
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups sharp white cheddar, shredded (6 oz)

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8).

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1" with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5 qt Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute.

Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.

Pour beef filling into a 9x13" baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese.

Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Make-Ahead: If making shepherd's pie seems like too much to do on a weeknight or you just want to get ahead with dinner, know that both the filling and topping can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated separately. Then, assemble the pie just before cooking, while the oven is heating up.
Freezing Ahead: You can also freeze the entire shepherd’s pie once assembled. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap and bake.
Storing Leftovers: Transfer them to a smaller dish and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Variations and Substitutions:

Enjoy the endless flexibility of this recipe and switch out the kinds of ground meat, vegetables and aromatics in the ingredient list according to your mood and tastes.

In Place of Ground Beef: Try ground lamb, turkey, or bison, or a plant-based ground meat substitute.
In Place of Carrots and Celery: Add some variety with your desired combination of vegetables. Butternut squash, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, peas and spinach are all great options. Shepherd’s pie is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables or the odds and ends of your produce bin.
Be mindful of how long each vegetable takes to cook. For firm ingredients like winter squash that require longer cooking, take care to cut them into thin pieces and sauté until tender before adding the flour and tomato paste.
Ingredients high in moisture, like zucchini and tomatoes, should be sautéed long enough to evaporate some of the liquid so you don’t end up with a soggy, watery filling.
Softer, more delicate ingredients, like peas and spinach, should be mixed into the filling as the very last step before transferring it to the baking dish.