Ross’s Favorite Shepherd’s Pie

In a large pot, brown the stew meat (use a little oil to prevent sticking, if necessary). Drain the fat from the pan.

Add carrots, celery and onion to the pan (add other vegetables if you like), season with salt and pepper and cook until softened.

Add broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add beer to the pan (slowly, it can fizz up).

Let the mixture simmer until the meat is tender, adding water if necessary to make sure everything is covered by cooking liquid.

While the meat mixture is cooking, peel and cut the potatoes for the mashed potato topper. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain potatoes.

Add milk and two tablespoons of butter to the potatoes. Mash until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Taste the meat mixture and adjust seasoning. Mix flour with cold water to make a slurry and add to the meat mixture, bit by bit, stirring and simmering between each addition, until the cooking liquid forms a thick gravy. Taste for seasoning again.

Spread meat and gravy mixture into two 9″ x 9″ baking dishes or 8″x 4″ loaf pans. Only put in enough to fill the pans about halfway.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the gravy mixture. Don’t press down, just float the potatoes on top.

Put one of the pans in the freezer for later.

For the pan you are going to eat tonight, dot the top of the potatoes with the remaining butter.

Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn on the broiler and cook for 5 or so minutes until potatoes start to brown. Turn the oven off.

Top the Shepherd’s Pie with cheese and leave it in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Then serve and enjoy.