Shepherdess' Pie

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see note)
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup cracker crumb (smash crackers in a small plastic bag)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (i like fresh best, but dried will work)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 lb ground beef (or lamb)
• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded (orig. recipe called for kefalotyri but i've never found that, any cheese will work, but jack or font)
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Recipe

• 1 start by making bechamel sauce: melt 1/4 cup butter, then whisk in 3 tablespoons flour; cook for a minute, then slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups warm milk (can microwave milk a minute beforehand to warm it). cook this, stirring constantly till it thickens and coats spoon. set aside till ready to use.
• 2 combine 3/4 cup of bechamel sauce with onion, egg, cracker crumbs, parsley, salt, thyme, red pepper, and vinegar.
• 3 add this sauce mixture to meat and toss with two forks to mix lightly (don't overwork meat) put this all into a casserole dish, level off top and make a slight indent with back of spoon (just like with meatloaf).
• 4 bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, occasionally using a spoon to remove fat that collects in the indentation.
• 5 combine potatoes with remaining bechamel sauce.
• 6 remove meat from oven, sprinkle with the cheese, top with potatoes. sprinkle with the paprika. bake an additional 20 minutes.