Shepherd’s Pie Topped with Mashed Butternut Squash

I’m frantically trying to use up whatever I have left in my fridge, trying to make space for Thanksgiving grocery shopping that will happen over the weekend.

This shepherd’s pie is delicious, and you can make it from scratch in under 1 hour. The sweet butternut squash is a great replacement for potatoes. I love the sweet topping and savory filling. This is also a great thing to make with thanksgiving leftovers: just replace the ground beef with leftover turkey, and the topping with sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• one medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2 inch cubes.  (or purchase about 2 lbs of ready to go cubes at the supermarket)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup frozen peas.
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
• 3 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 3 ½ to 4 quart oven-to-table baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place the butternut squash on the cookie sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake the butternut squash until soft. This should take 20-30 minutes.
3. While the butternut squash bakes, prepare the filing. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Add in the onions, and cook until softened. Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the beef is evenly brown. Add in the garlic, carrots, celery, tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the beef, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the broth, and cook until the sauce thickens, 7-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the peas, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley. Taste the filling, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Set aside.
4. Prepare the topping. Mash the butternut squash with 1/2 tablespoon butter, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk.
5. Place the filling in the baking dish, and top with the mashed butternut squash mixture. Bake for 15 minutes at 400F to heat through. Remove the dish from the oven, and carefully sprinkle the shepherd’s pie with the Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.