Mixed Up Shepard's Pie

I love and crave homey food.  Any combination of salty, cheesy, buttery, savory or sweet will do.  At the same time I struggle with wanting to eat as healthy as possible.  Although I'm not a vegetarian, I don't eat meat all that often, when I do it's organic and grass fed.  

Last week the Mr. was traveling for business and scheduled to come home Saturday on the late side.  I decided to make a variation on Shepard's Pie packed with veggies & flavor.  Since it always tastes better the next day, I made it Friday night which was great since there was zero clean up on Saturday!

• 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 ground beef (I used 85% grass fed organic)
• 
  
• 1 onion chopped
• 6 - 8 closed garlic minced
• 2 -3 carrots chopped
• 3 - 4 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 - 1 package baby spinach washed
• 1/2 cup corn (I used frozen white)
• 1/2 cup peas (I also used frozen)
• 2 bay leaves & any other herb you like
• 
  
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 
  
• Mashed Potatoes
• 6 potatoes (whatever you like for mashing I used ukon gold)
• 1/2 butternut squash cubed 
• 
  
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• butter
• cream

Fill a pot with potatoes & squash and add enough water to cover vegetables.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender and can be mashed.

In a large skillet over medium heat add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and onions.  Cook for about 8 minutes untill soft.  

Add garlic, carrots & celery cook for another 5 - 10 minutes 

Remove veggies & add ground beef.  Cook until beef is browned.  Flavor to taste with salt and pepper.  

Return cooked veggies along with spinach, corn, peas, bay leaves & any other herb you'd like to add for flavor.  

In a separate small sauce pan begin to make gravy:

Melt butter over low to medium heat

Whisk in flour until golden brown

Whisk in stock and Worcestershire sauce & cook until thickened

Add fresh black pepper to taste 

Add gravy to vegetable mixture along with spinach, peas & corn and cook for a few minutes

Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish (mine is 9 x 12)

Mash the potatoes and squash.  Flavor to your liking.  I added a bit of the beef stock, a little butter, sour cream, cream and salt & pepper to taste.  Rachel Ray even adds an egg which is totally optional.

Spoon the mash mixture over meat.

Bake at 350 until bubbling & the mash mixture has a light brown color