Celebrity Cook-Along, Recipe Blog Party and OTMM

     Every month, Lynn @ Happier Than A Pig In Mud hosts a Celebrity Cook-Along party. I finally had a recipe ready to share when she picked Rachel Ray as the Celebrity of the Month.

     My husband loves Shepherd's Pie, but I had never made it. So, when I saw Rachel's 30-minute Shepherd's Pie recipe, I decided to try it. It was easy to make and delicious. It takes a few pans to make, but other than a bit of clean-up, it was very simple to prepare.

30-Minute Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 & 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb (I used beef)
1 carrot (or 2 smaller carrots) peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped (I didn't use one)
2 T. butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 T. sour cream or softened cream cheese (I used lite sour cream)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream (vegetable or chicken broth may be substituted) I used the remaining beef broth and it was fine.
1 tsp. paprika

In a large pot, boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes.

While potatoes boil, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, then beef or lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat. If there is a lot of fat when meat is brown, drain it. Add carrot and optional onion, cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a second small pan over medium heat, cook butter and flour together, 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup beef broth and Worcestershire. Cook to thicken, 1 minute. Add gravy to meat mixture and stir in peas.

Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and broth or cream. Pour the sour cream mixture into the potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes evenly over the meat. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from heat until even browned, about 2  to 3 minutes. I actually baked mine for 40 minutes instead of broiling it. I liked the idea of cooking that raw egg yolk a little longer than just broiling the top.

I am also joining Debi @ Bloggerette Sorority for the Recipe Blog Party

and

Yvonne @ Stone Gable for On The Menu Monday