Shepherd's Pie

This is Alex's favorite freezer staple. I don't think I ever make enough because it's always the first thing eaten every month. Luckily, this recipe easily doubles, triples, even quadruples.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup canned low sodium beef broth
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups Mashed Potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Prepare Mashed Potatoes and freeze in a quart sized freezer bag.

Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. (Tip: Substitute 1 bag of frozen onion, carrots, and celery for fresh.)

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red.

Stir in the meat, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Freeze flat in 1 gallon freezer bag.

Thaw: Overnight in refrigerator or in microwave on low heat.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 9x13 dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.