A little farm-kitchen note: If you have leftover vegetables hanging around your fridge, throw them in. Shepherd’s pie is one of those forgiving meals where the filling can change with whatever is coming out of the kitchen.

For example, this week, when I came home from North Carolina, this was what I made with all the leftover vegetables my husband hadn’t cooked while I was away, plus a sauce I’d made from Jimmy Nardello peppers that was far too good to let go to waste.

Shepherd’s Pie

For the potato topping

  • 2½ lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Black pepper, to taste

For the filling

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or whatever sauce you have around, this is where I used my Jimmy Nardello pepper sauce)
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

*My additions to this were corn and green beans that were lingering too long in my fridge.

Make the potatoes

Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until very tender, about 15–20 minutes.

Drain well and return them to the warm pot for a minute or two to let some of the excess moisture evaporate.

Mash with the butter, warm milk, egg yolk, salt, and plenty of black pepper. You want the potatoes creamy but still substantial enough to hold their shape on top of the filling.

Make the filling

Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 7–10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook for 1–2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the stock, Worcestershire, thyme, and rosemary.

Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10–15 minutes, until the gravy has thickened and the vegetables are tender. Stir in the peas and taste for seasoning.

Assemble & bake

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the beef filling, all the way to the edges. Use a fork to make some ridges across the top—those little peaks should get browned in the oven, but if your broiler doesn’t work like mine you can use a blow torch to get the crispy brown wisps.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and deeply golden on top. If you want a little more color, finish under the broiler for a minute or two.

Let it sit for 10–15 minutes before serving.