Butternut Squash-topped Cottage Pie

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a 1.5-liter casserole dish with butter.
2. To make the filling, add the oil to a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef, onions, carrots and mushrooms and cook (covered) for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic during the last 1 minute of cooking.
3. Add the thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook (uncovered) until the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a medium sized bowl stir together all ingredients for the butternut topping.
5. Once the vegetable-beef mixture is thickened, spread it in an even layer in the prepared casserole dish and spread the butternut topping evenly on top.
6. Bake until the casserole is warm throughout and bubbling in the center, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set it on a cooling rack.
7. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle the parsley on top and serve.

Notes:
– Make-ahead: To make this dish up to 3 days ahead, prepare it up until the point where it’s ready to go into the oven. Cover with a sheet of foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Then cook it in a 400 F oven until warm throughout, about 30 minutes. (It can go right from the fridge to the oven—there is no need to bring it to room temperature before baking it.)
– To stretch this meal: Serve this meal with a green salad and some crusty bread, and you should be able to get another serving out of it.