This One is for Ashley!

My twenty year old sister who doesn't know what Shepherd's Pie is. Because my kids can't live off of cupcakes alone, I do have to make real food some times. And today it was Shepherd's Pie, which is something that I thought everyone knew about. . . until I told my sister we were eating it for dinner, and she was confused. I thought it was even stranger that she didn't know what it is seeing how she lives in England, right next to Ireland, which is where I've always assumed to Shepherd's Pie to come from. She says she tried to avoid the local food though. You should find yourself and Irish Pub and try the Shepherd's Pie sometime, Ash! It's good and easy to eat. My version has a bottom layer of ground beef and sauteed vegetable, topped with a layer of corn, a layer of mashed potatoes, and finally some cheddar cheese. Then into the oven until it's hot and the cheese is melted. A simple and warming all-in-one dinner. Ask Mom to make it for you! Recipe follows:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 rib celery, sliced and chopped

can of mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

1 can corn, drained

4 cups Mashed Potatoes, I make mine from scratch but I bet you could use instant

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the beef, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 2-quart casserole dish, layer the corn on top and then spread the mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.