Rose's Lamby Shepard Pie

This is a favorite of mine. I don't make it often but I have had a yearning for it since St. Patrick's Day. But Richard wanted Corned Beef and Cabbage on that Sainted Day! So last night I gave in to the whim and made my Pie.

Now Shepard's Pie isn't what you would normally consider a pie, since it doesn't have a pie shell. Instead it has a layer or crust of Mashed Potatoes on top of it. Sometimes I make it very cheesy, but last night I felt like going a bit more simple. And here it is:

Rose's Lamby Shepard Pie

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet Onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tblsp Butter (Goat Butter)

1 lb Ground Lamb
2 Large stalks Celery, Diced
20 baby carrots, diced
2 large mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup Goat Milk
2 Tblsp Unbleached Flour

2 Cups Potato Flakes
1 1/4 Cup Water
3 Tblsp Butter (I used Goat Butter)
1 Cup Goat Milk
1/4 cup Grated Romano Cheese (I normally use Pecorino Roman which is sheep milk)
Salt & Pepper to taste
(I added a Tblsp chives & of Parsley and 1 Tblsp of Garlic Powder for extra flavor)

Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees.

In large skillet on medium low melt the butter and add the onions. Let simmer until onions start to get clear then add the garlic and salt and pepper lightly. (If you want to get fancy you can pour a bit of vermouth or vodka over the onions at this point. The liquid will steam off, but the flavor is incredible. This helps bring the sugar out of the onions and they carmelize beautifully)
Remove the onion and garlic mix to let stand for a bit while you put the lamb into this nicely seasoned skillet. Turn the heat up a bit and break up the lamb so that it will cook evenly. Add the carrots, celery and mushrooms and let cook down til they have a chance to start tenderizing.
In a bowl add the milk to the flour and stir til smooth. Pushing the meat mixture aside in your pan, start to pour in the milk mixture and let it heat to a boil and thicken, creating a nice sauce. At this point add the onion mixture and cook for another 5 minutes adding more salt and pepper.
Pour this entire mix into a pregreased deep casserole dish and set aside.

In a Medium pot bring the butter, water and salt & pepper to a boil. Remove from the heat and start adding the potato flakes and milk stirring continuously until well blended. Add a bit more potato flakes if you want to make thicker. Add in the parsley, chives and garlic to season if using them. Add in the Romano Cheese and stir til melted in.

Put the potatoes over the top of the lamb mixture in the casserole and make sure it covers all the way around to the edges. I like the potatoes to be at least an inch thick. Thicker if I have enough. I then will top with more Romano cheese that I just grate right over the top. About a 1/4 cup. Put the casserole into the oven and cook for 10 minutes at 375 then turn it down to 350 and let cook another 30 minutes or until top gets a lightly golden crust.

...Just a note, you can prepare this ahead of time and cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight before cooking. This makes it great as a prepare ahead dish for parties. I usually let it cook 10 minutes longer to bring it fully up to heat when done this way.

Serves 4-6 people.