Easy as Shepherd’s Pie: This recipe is the definition of comfort food

Nothing warms the body and heart like a serving of old fashioned shepherd’s pie. This humble, but oh-so-satisfying dish says “home cooking” like no other. This recipe isn’t your mom’s shepherd pie— it incorporates some unique flavors and streamlines the process to make the dish work as a quick and easy weeknight meal, substituting crispy parmesan potato rounds for mashed potatoes and skipping the casserole dish altogether.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat (try half lamb and half beef, or substitute turkey for a lighter take)
2 scallions, sliced
6 large button or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 pound russet potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy glaze
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Prepare the crispy parmesan potatoes. Slice the potatoes into thin rounds and spread on a non-stick sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced by a fork. Remove from the oven and top each round with a bit of parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, until crisp and browned. Carefully use the broiler to add a bit more color and crispiness, if necessary. Remove from the oven.

2. While the potatoes roast, cook the ground meat in a large pan on medium-high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper and stirring with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once browned and nearly cooked through (6-8 minutes), add the mushrooms, celery, and scallions and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3. Add the tomato paste and seasonings to the meat and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and continue to stir for one minute until deep red and fragrant. Add a cup of water and the soy glaze and stir well, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce reduce until thickened, about 5 minutes.

4. Serve the stew in a bowl with the crispy potatoes layered on top and garnish with scallion. Optionally, you can layer the potatoes and stew in a casserole dish and bake for seven to ten minutes, until crisp around the edges. Enjoy!