1cupcorn kernels(canned and drained, frozen, or fresh)
1cupless-sodium chicken broth
1cupwhole milk (or half-and-half or cream)
2tablespoonsunsalted butter(softened)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place the potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan and add cold water to cover. Salt the water, then place over high heat until the water simmers. Lower the heat to medium-high and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until brown and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Turn into a colander to drain. Carefully wipe out the skillet.
Heat the oil in the same large skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, and thyme and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften. Season with salt and pepper, add the flour, and stir until it coats the vegetables, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce (if using), cooked beef, and corn, and then add the broth and cook, stirring, until the liquid thickens into a sauce, about 4 minutes.
Turn the mixture into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan.
Drain the cooked potatoes. In the saucepan you used to cook the potatoes, heat the milk and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until barely simmering. Put the cooked potatoes through a food mill a ricer, or add the potatoes as cooked chunks and use a potato masher to mash them in the simmering milk. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until smooth, hot, and well blended.
Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the beef and vegetable mixture in the pie pan. Use a spoon to make nice wavy peaks and valleys in the potatoes; the peaks will then get nicely browned and beautiful in the baking.
Bake for 15 minutes until the top is set and a bit colored. If you want the top a bit more browned, you can run it under the broiler for a few minutes, but keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can also think about adding a cup of frozen peas along with the corn if you wish. Turkey is an option instead of beef, and of course, lamb is always a good choice, which gets you back to a Shepherd’s pie.If you leave out the flour, the sauce will not thicken as much, but the recipe will be gluten-free if that’s something you need.