GOUDA CHEESY SHEPHERDS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat Oven to 400°
• In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil on medium heat. Once melted, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until tender, but not mushy. (they will continue to cook in the oven when baking, so you want them to be al dente... almost completely cooked, but not mushy.) About 7-8 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and the flour and mix well. (the flour acts as a thickener for the broth so its not runny when finished cooking. However, this is totally optional.)
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add ground beef and cook completely until there is no pink left. While cooking use a spoon to break the meat down into the smallest of pieces. (about 10 minutes)
• Once the beef is browned, add the worcestershire sauce and the beef broth and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Check seasoning at this point and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add peas and corn and mix well.
• Using an oven proof backing dish for the next cooking, place the beef mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan. I use an 9X13 glass dish, but Ive split into smaller pans as well.
• Place a thin layer of potatoes over the top of the meat mixture using a spatula. This layer acts as a coating so you don't have to worry about a little meat, carrot or anything being in it. Once it is spread over the top, then come back and put the rest of the potatoes evenly over the top. (You can use a piping bag if you want something fancy but a spatula works just as well!)
• Make sure the potatoes are completely covering the meat mixture and there are no open spaces against the baking dish. While it will still be very tasty, if you have an open space, the meat juices will seep out while baking.
• You can run a fork across the top to get crevices that will get crunchy in baking.
• Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or so or until golden brown.
• See Notes for Freezer info!