Shepherd's Pie

My family loves this recipe! It's a hearty meal that freezes well, so double it and make two pans (one for now and one to freeze)!

Shepherd's Pie
Servings: 6

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
6 tsp. olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, un-drained & chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 medium baking potatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often until it is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from the skillet using a slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium.

2. While beef is browning, peel and cut up potatoes. Boil potatoes until tender, then drain and mash with almond milk until smooth.

3. Add olive oil to the pan. Saute onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in ground beef, peas, beef bouillon, salt, thyme and ground pepper. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture and increase heat to medium-high stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and vinegar. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often for about 4 minutes. Remove bay leaf and transfer mixture to a 3-quart baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese starts to brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan, 1 serving of the Shepherd's Pie counts as 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 tsp.