Shepards Pie

After doing some time under the weather and dealing with a death in the family, I've found my system out of sorts and in dire need of some clean eating. So its time to get back on track with meal planning to set my system back on a normal keel and get back to sharing my recipes with you.

So with that in mind and frost on my windows I've opted for a long enjoyed favorite with just a few modifications to meet my dietary needs.

Shepard's Pie
4 cups mashed potatoes (left over work great, especially cheesy ones, heated)
2 med onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
4 med carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery, (1 cup)
Olive Oil
1 lb Ground beef
3 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomato, chopped 
2+ c. Chicken stock
2-3 Tbsp Arrowroot
Salt & Pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a oven proof dutch oven (my favorite is an enameled cast iron one from Ikea), over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Add chopped tomatoes, and salt & pepper to taste.
Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry out of the arrowroot and add to the simmering pot a little at  time until thickened into a nice gravy consistency.  
Spread potatoes evenly across the meat and gravy mixture and place in oven until lightly browned, 30 - 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve. No wheat, just lots of hot goodness.

See may alterations below.

Heading for the oven

Browned and bubbling up around the edges.

I used red potatoes with the skins on for my mashed potatoes, and they were mixed with sour cream, butter, milk and white cheddar w/horseradish. They were made fresh while the meat & gravy cooked.

Because everything was hot and cooked through, I was able to just put the final product under the broiler to brown off the potatoes and we were ready to eat from start to finish in about an hour, including making the mashed potatoes.

Digging in!