Shepherd's Pie...

Greetings once again, Dear Reader. As promised, it's Shepherd's Pie for Recipe Tuesday, sans pictures not because I'm lazy but because my rechargeables for the camera need replaced. They'll hold a very short charge is all. SIGH. Anyway, Sic_un and I were watching Rachael Ray cook one evening and said 'That would be good!'... She was making a turkey based pie. Gave me the idea, anyway, so we made it up over the weekend. Let's go to the kitchen, shall we?

Shepherd's Pie

1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (try for the 85/15 mix)
1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 inch
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch crosswise
2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 inch
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 bell pepper, chopped 1/4 inch
2 teaspoons Seasoning (Your favorite steak seasoning, seasoning salt, I used Jane's Crazy Salt and Pepper blends), separated
3 cups mashed potatoes (make your own, use leftovers, use a box... 3 cups mashed potatoes. I RECOMMEND USING HOT MASHED POTATOES, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO MICROWAVE THEM HOT)

Heat a 12", ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Begin browning the ground beef over medium heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon seasoning over the meat, stir it in. When the meat is mostly browned, but still slightly pink, drain the fat from the pan. You can spoon it out, strain the meat and return it to the pain, pour it off, do what you like, but drain the fat from the pan. The meat will continue to release fats, that will be used for the veggies and gravy later, but get the majority of it out now.
Return the drained beef to medium heat. Stir in the onions, carrots and celery. At this time, sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of seasoning over the meat. Cook the veggies and meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are hot all the way through, but still have a little bit of a 'bite' to them. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, mix well. You'll notice a lot of fond starting to develop. When the fond is golden and the flour is mixed in, stir in the beef broth.
Continue stirring as you bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, add bell peppers, continue simmering until gravy has thickened and peppers begin to soften.
Remove from heat.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE HOT: Let the mixture cool approximately 10 minutes, then top the mixture in the ovenproof skillet with the mashed potatoes. Broil until the top is golden at the higher peaks.
IF YOUR POTATOES ARE COLD: Let the mixture cool COMPLETELY, top with the cold mashed potatoes. Bake in a 325 oven approximately 30 minutes or until top is golden and mixture is heated through.
When it's golden, pull out the skillet and dish it up.

You can use whatever veg you like. I had these, so this is what I used. Throw in corn, peas... Any of the 'stew' veg will work. Meaning if you like it in stew, it will work in this. Use leftover meats, leftover gravy, leftover mashed. It's a great, filling, easy dish.