It's Just Cooking: Shepherd's Pie with Bacon and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Shepherd's Pie is one of those dishes that warms you all the way down to your toes. It's satisfying and homey, but still pretty easy to make. I LOVE the basic version with meat, gravy and mashed potatoes, but sometimes I just need to tweak things a little. The addition of bacon and cheddar add a richness to the meat portion, and the garlic mashed potatoes... well, what else is there to say?

Here's what you'll need:
4 slices bacon, chopped, browned and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 96% fat free)
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP flour
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 - 2 1/2 c beef broth
1 c frozen peas and carrots
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
3 c mashed potatoes (boil 5-6 lg potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Mash with 1 TBSP minced garlic, 4 TBSP butter, 1/3 c sour cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10" casserole dish.

Brown the bacon in a large skillet. Remove to paper towels to drain, keeping most of the drippings in the pan. Add the onion, and saute until tender. (If you try to cook the onions with the bacon, the bacon will not get crispy. I'm not sure why; it's just been my experience.) Add the beef to the onions, cooking until brown. Season with salt and pepper and thyme. Sprinkle with the flour, then cook 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. This will help thicken the gravy.

Add Worcestershire sauce and 2 c beef broth; bring to a boil. If gravy is too thick, add extra 1/2 c beef broth. Boil 1 minute. Add bacon back into the skillet.