Marthas Rutabaga Shepherds Pie Food

SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook beef, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup water and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH RUTABAGA TOPPING

Steps:

• Tie celery, rosemary sprig, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot. Melt butter, and brown meat in two batches, taking care not to crowd the pieces or they will steam and not brown; transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions; cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Return meat to pan and sprinkle flour over the meat and onions, cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
• Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid after 1 hour; add carrots, and cook, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place rutabagas and potatoes in separate saucepans; cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes for the rutabagas and 25 minutes for the potatoes. Drain; return to the saucepans to dry out any moisture from the vegetables for a few minutes.
• Put the rutabagas and potatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or ricer, or mash by hand. Add butter, as desired, and enough hot milk to make a creamy puree. Season with salt and pepper; stir in chopped rosemary.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove bouquet garni; transfer stew into a deep 2-quart baking dish. Top with puree; dot lightly with butter. Bake 1 hour, or until top is brown and crusty. Serve hot.

MARTHA'S RUTABAGA SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Tie celery, rosemary sprig, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside.
• Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot.
• Melt butter, and brown meat in two batches, taking care not to crowd the pieces or they will steam and not brown; transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add onions; cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes.
• Return meat to pan and sprinkle flour over the meat and onions, cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
• Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.
• Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the lid after 1 hour; add carrots, and cook, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Place rutabagas and potatoes in separate saucepans; cover with cold, salted water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes for the rutabagas and 25 minutes for the potatoes.
• Drain; return to the saucepans to dry out any moisture from the vegetables for a few minutes.
• Put the rutabagas and potatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or ricer, or mash by hand.
• Add butter, as desired, and enough hot milk to make a creamy puree.
• Season with salt and pepper; stir in chopped rosemary.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Remove bouquet garni; transfer stew into a deep 2-quart baking dish.
• Top with puree; dot lightly with butter.
• Bake 1 hour, or until top is brown and crusty.
• Serve hot.

RUTABAGA-AND-APPLE MASH

Steps:

• Cut rutabaga and apple into 1-inch pieces. Cover with water; boil until tender. Drain, then mash with butter and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CHEDDAR-TOPPED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set beef filling aside.
• Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.
• Pour beef filling into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.