Shepherd's Pie

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  1 tbsp Olive oil

  Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil for high-heat cooking. EVOO for dressings.

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  1.3 lbs 80/20 Ground Beef
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  1 Yellow Onion(110g)
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  8 oz Mushrooms, White, Sliced
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  2 Carrots(122g)
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  2 Celery(80g)
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  4 Garlic(12g)
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  0.3 cup Flour, All-Purpose, White
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  0.5 cup 1/2 cup dry red wine (or you can sub in more beef stock instead)
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  2 cup Beef Stock, Low Sodium
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  2 tbsp Tomato Paste
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  2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

  Lea & Perrins is the standard. A little goes a long way.

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  2 2 bay leaves
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  2 2 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme (or whatever herbs you love)
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  0.5 cup Peas, Sweet, Frozen
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  sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
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  2.5 lbs Potato, Russet, Baked, Flesh Only
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  0.3 cup Butter
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  0.5 cup Whole Milk
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  2 oz Cream Cheese

  Plain Greek yogurt — nonfat (0%) or low-fat (2%). Not regular yogurt.

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  sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Peel and cut the russet potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 12–15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain well, return to pot, and mash with the salted butter, whole milk, and cream cheese until smooth. Set aside off heat.
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook 5–7 minutes, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pan (add 1 tablespoon oil if the pan is dry).
3. 3Add the onion to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, and fresh garlic; cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
4. 4Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Cook 1 minute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, to remove the raw flour taste.
5. 5Pour in the beef stock and tomato paste, stirring to combine and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, fresh rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cooked beef and frozen peas; simmer 2–3 minutes more until peas are heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6Divide the meat filling evenly into 12 airtight containers while hot. Top each container with an equal portion of mashed potatoes, spreading gently to cover the filling. Cool to room temperature, then seal and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.