Our Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie is one of the dishes which I learned to make  when in TX. Actually, it is not popular in Poland at all, and I did not hear about it before coming to the US.
This is the way I make it and how we like it best.

What you need (for two servings):

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• some canola oil (for frying)
• 1/2 medium size onion - chopped
• 1 cup water + 1/2 beef bullion cube (or 1 cup beef stock)
• 1 TBS Worcester sauce
• about 1/3 cup frozen peas & carrots (or more if you like)
• 1 TBS dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

 For mashed potatoes:

• 4 medium sized potatoes
• 1 TSP unsalted butter
• about 1 tsp salt
• a pinch black pepper
• 1/4 2% milk
• grated Mexican cheese (or other kind) to cover mashed potatoes

What to do:
1. Heat oven to 350F/175C
2. Boil the potatoes.
3. Mash the potatoes, add butter, milk, salt and pepper.
4. Fry the meat  until it is no longer red (it takes a few minutes).
5. Add the chopped onion and fry it with the meat for about 3 minutes.
6. Add water & bullion cube, Worcester sauce, frozen peas & carrots, and cook it all for about 7 minutes. Add parsley and stir everything.
7. Place the meat mixture into a baking dish, cover it with mashed potatoes, spread them evenly.
8. Sprinkle shredded cheese on the potato layer.
9. Bake it for 30 minutes.
I do not cover the dish with aluminum foil before placing it in the oven. I did that a few times but the potatoes + cheese turn out/taste  better when they are baked without any cover .