Shepherd's Pie

I suppose this is more of a Rancher's Pie, considering I made it with ground beef instead of ground lamb.

Mats
For the topping
1 lb boiling potatoes. Generally they're yellow
1/2c milk
2 tsp salt
2 Tb butter

For the filling
2 Tb oil
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2c green beans, ends snapped off and cut in half
1/2 head cabbage, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
2 Tb flour
3/4 c stock

Preheat your oven to 350

Wash the potatoes and slice them into quarters. I don't bother peeling them, potato skins are yummy and add fiber and color to your dish.
Add potatoes to a large pot of water with 1 tsp salt
Bring the water to a boil, cover, and boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.

In the meantime, heat 2 Tb oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the diced garlic, 1/2tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp thyme, stir and cook for 1 minute
Add the ground beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula so it's in tiny crumbles. Mix thoroughly with the onions and carrot and cook for 8-10 minutes or until all the meat is browned.
Sprinkle the 2 Tb flour over the mixture and toss well so the meat is nicely coated in the flour.
Add the 3/4c stock (chicken, vegetable, mushroom, beef, whatever. It all works. Water will even do in a pinch).
Add the green beans and cabbage, stir well, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken.

Back to the topping - once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and return them to the pot on VERY VERY low heat. Add 2 Tb butter. Using an electric mixer set to a medium intensity (or a potato masher, I suppose. I don't actually own one and have slightly lazy arms), whip the potatoes and butter into rough chunks.
Turn off the mixer and add the salt and 1/4c milk. Whip it again, this time on medium-high intensity. The potatoes should start to become creamy instead of chunky.
If they're not smooth enough for your taste, add the other 1/4c milk. Turn off the heat when you're done mixing.

Pour the filling into a large casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top, and spread them evenly over the top of the filling using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure to spread the potatoes to the very edge of the dish to keep the filling from bubbling up and out.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the mashed potato topping begins to brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before scooping out and serving.