Our Twist on Shepherd's Pie

For those out there that aren't feeling like corned beef for St. Patrick's Day, one of our favorite back up options is a warm, comforting Shepherd's (or Cottage) Pie.

A traditional Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb but we have found that any grass-fed or pasture raised ground meat in any combination tastes amazing. 

They key ingredient (besides using sustainable grass-fed or pasture raised meat) is cooking with Guinness and topping with delicious truffle salt. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground meat (ground lamb, ground turkey, ground beef or a combination)
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 can of Guinness or any stout
• 8 oz beef bone broth
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1/2 an onion chopped
• About 1/2 bag of frozen peas ( 8 oz of a 16 oz bag)
• About 1/2 bag of frozen corn (8 oz of a 16 oz bag)
• 2 packets of Non-GMO instant potatoes (dehydrated potatoes) or you can make your mashed potatoes ahead of time from scratch and reheat
• 1/2 cup milk
• A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 1.5 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Truffle Salt
• 3/4 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Unbleached Flour (Optional for thickening)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour the Guinness (or stout) into your largest fry pan and let it cook down about 5 minutes on high heat. Add in the bay leaves.
2. Prepare your carrots and onion with a nice small chop.
3. After 5 minutes, add the beef bone broth and lower the heat to medium high heat. Add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce and all the spices (except truffle salt).
4. Add the carrots and onion. While the carrots and onion are cooking, start to boil the water for the potatoes and cook the meat.
5. Once the meat is cooked, drain any juices and set aside.
6. Add the peas and corn and let them cook for 2 minutes. Add in the meat and let it all simmer together for a few minutes.
7. While all the ingredients are cooking together, your water should be boiling for your potatoes. Add in the dehydrated potatoes and mix well. Add the 1/2 cup of milk to give them a little extra creamy texture. Don’t forget to season them with salt and pepper but be light on the salt, as you will be adding truffle salt later.
8. Remove the bay leaves from your meat and veggie mixture.
9. If you would like to thicken up the broth of your meat and veggie mixture, add in a little flour. Try a quarter cup first and if that doesn't thicken it, add a little more. Make sure to thoroughly mix the flour and let it stew for a few minutes to cook down.
10. Turn the broiler.
11. Pour your meat and veggie mixture into a casserole dish. Add even layer of potatoes on top.
12. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and then broil until the cheese starts to brown on top. (3-5 minutes)
13. Sprinkle with truffle salt and serve. :)