Shepard’s Pie & Love Actually

The holidays always bring that feeling of comfort, enjoying all things familiar and traditional… and not feeling guilty for calorie overload *introduces Shepard’s Pie* It’s so completely simple to make which is important this time of year because we all don’t need one more thing on our list and it’s all worth it when you hear the moans as people bite. So a heartfelt holiday comedy, a plate of home cooked comfort food and a warm night in is what’s in order for this December Dinner & a Movie.

“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion… love actually is all around.”

Ingredients

1 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 celery stalks, diced
1 carrots, diced
1 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
3/4 pounds ground ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup beef stock or broth
1 cups green peas
prepared batch of garlic mashed potatoes
4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, diced celery stalks, diced carrots and minced garlic. Saute until vegetables are softened somewhat, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, stir, and then add ground beef. Cook beef until browned. Next, stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Stir again, and then mix in the green peas.

When most of the liquid has cooked off, spoon the mixture into ramekins or a casserole dish. Top with the prepared garlic mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Garnish the top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the potato topping looks golden brown. I serve mine with brown gravy because what’s comfort food without a good slathering of gravy?!