Cognac Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Cognac
- 1 lb 85% ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced, split into two
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 3 russet potatoes
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter, cubed
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cognac
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Preheat oven to 400°F.
First, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Clean potatoes, peel and chop into medium-size cubes. Boil until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, add back to pan and set aside.
Next, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add ½ the onion and cook until lightly browned and translucent. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. As soon as the beef is no longer pink, add the cognac and stir to combine. Reduce for about two minutes, or until alcohol is cooked off (you should be able to smell it as it evaporates). Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining onion, garlic, celery, carrots and thyme. Sauté for about 3 minutes, seasoning with salt to taste along the way. Add the mushrooms and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Now for the top layer. To the pan with your drained potatoes, add ½ of the butter, sour cream and milk. Season with salt and mash until smooth. Take care to not over whip.
In a baking dish, layer your meat mixture first, followed by your vegetable mixture. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and remaining cubes of butter.
Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes.
