Shepherd s Pie Potato Skins

Wintertime means comfort food ………. hearty, filling, warm meals that’ll last us through the long cold nights. And what better way to find them than go back to the most traditional recipes? One of the best and the oldest: Shepherd’s Pie! This combination of meat, vegetables and mashed potatoes is about as satisfying as it gets.

4 large Summertime Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean

¼ to ½ cup whole milk

2-½ tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

8 ounces ground beef

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup beef broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1-½ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

1-½ cups frozen vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prick the potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Rotate and cook another 5 minutes. Test with a knife to make sure they’re done. Cut the tops off the potatoes and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving a ¼-inch wall around the skin.

Add the milk, butter and salt to the bowl of potato and mash until smooth.

In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking into smaller pieces, until browned and cooked through. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and stir to combine. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and frozen veggies to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and become glossy. Remove from the heat.

Fill each potato evenly with the beef mixture. Pipe the mashed potatoes over the filling, covering the meat mixture completely.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops of the potatoes start to brown.