Harvest time makes us head back to comfort food, and this baked meat pie is so good and so flexible. It's a great one to use with leftover meat, gravy, mashed potatoes and veggies. If you aren't into the beer, substitute beef stock.
Shepard's Pie with Ale
1 lb. ground turkey (or substitute another meat)
1 medium onion or a combo of onion and shallot, chopped
olive oil to coat pan
2-3 C chopped vegetables of your choice
1 bottle dark beer
1 pkg. gravy mix of your choice (I used brown.)
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste, plus any other herbs that sound good to you
4-6 servings mashed potatoes for the topping - fresh, leftover, or instant
1/2 C grated cheddar or other cheese
Heat oven to 350. Brown meat and onion/shallots in olive oil in a medium pan. Add vegetables and a little of the beer. Cover and cook until veggies are crisp tender. Then add remaining beer, gravy mix, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and any other seasonings. Cook for a few minutes until the gravy mix begins to thicken the filling a little. Pour into a greased casserole dish, spread mashed potatoes on top, sprinkle with the cheese, and put into oven for 30-45 minutes. Place a cookie sheet under the dish to catch any run over. Watch for light browning on your potatoes and the filling bubbling up. Hope it warms you through and through!
