Shepherds Pie

Imagine this - you have just come home from work and it's a cold, rainy and windy wintery night. You walk in the door and you can smell scrumptous aromas coming from the oven. You sit at the table and waiting for you is a glass of good Shiraz or Merlot and a plate of pure heaven - shepherd's pie.

Shepherd's pie was one of the first meals I perfected when I left home. It was also one of the first meals I made for my now husband. It is hearty, delicious and will leave you full and content.

Ingredients

Filling
500-700g lamb or beef mince
1 large brown onion, diced
½ red capsicum, diced
3 carrots, diced
200g button mushrooms, diced
½ cup frozen peas
Small amount of chilli paste
1 teaspoon beef stock powder
250ml dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cornflour

Mashed Potatoes
4 large desiree potatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons light cream cheese
Milk
Salt
Handful of grated cheddar cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Add olive oil in a saucepan and add mince. Cook mince and remove excess fat.
Add chilli paste, onions and capsicum and cook until onion are tender and translucent. Add carrots and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 mins.
Add stock, wine and tomato paste and some worcestershire sauce. Stir and taste the sauce, and add more Worcestershire sauce if required.
Add tomato paste and season with pepper. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 mins. Add peas and add cornflour to thicken sauce. Let mixture stand until cooled.
Once mince mixture is cooled, add the potatoes to a saucepan with boiling water. Boil the potatoes until tender.
Remove the potatoes from heat and drain. Add the cream cheese to the saucepan and mash potatoes into the saucepan.
Return the saucepan to heat and start stirring vigorously. Add in milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Place cooled mince mixture into an oven dish.
Place a chopping mat onto the oven dish and spread the mashed potato on top. Turn chopping mat onto the mixture.
Smooth out the mixture. With the back of a fork, run lines across the mashed potatoes.
Place pie into the oven for 25-30 mins. When potato is slightly browned, grate some cheddar cheese on top. Cook for a further five mins.