Shepherd's Pie

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook, p. 238

2 pounds ground sheep or ground beef

3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

½ cup mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry crust

Lots of happy chopping!

Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Saute ground meat in 3 tablespoons olive oil until cooked through and browned. Transfer meat to baking dish. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to pan if needed. Saute garlic, onion, red pepper, and mushrooms until tender, about 4-5 minutes. 

I used canned mushrooms, which were actually quite nice in this.

Spoon over meat in baking dish.

Pour off excess oil from pan. Melt butter and add flour to form a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to keep smooth. Cook until bubbly and slightly thickened.

Remove sauce from heat and add Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

In the background you can get a glimpse of me slowly gluing the pie crust package to a stove burner while the oven preheats.

Pour over meat and vegetables.

Roll out pastry crust to fit over casserole dish. Crimp edges to seal. Prick with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake until crust is well browned, about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot. 

So pretty! Since I kind of ruined the pie crust dough (see above) I just rolled it into a lattice. 

My Rating: 4/5 "A nice light shepherd's pie, if you can believe it. The red pepper is a particularly nice addition. This, fortunately, made enough to go around with guests and everyone seemed content with it."