Recipe(tried): Irish Rover's Unicorn Pub Shepherd's Pie (repost)

What a good recipe for a cold winter night! DH and I did not grow up having Shepherd's Pie. Neither of our mother's made it so we have enjoyed this a couple of times now. Needless to say, homemade mashed potatoes are wonderful with this but, as many recipes say, you can use instant. As the recipe says, brush the top with melted butter, but as Karen/England's recipe (I think) suggests, use a fork to make the top (mashed potatoes)pretty by using the tines to make "curly-ques" or swirls on top. I halved the recipe.

Irish Rover's Unicorn Pub Shepherd's Pie
Source: Calgary Sun, Monday, October 15, 1990
Yield: 6 Servings

The Irish Rovers, of "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "The Unicorn" fame, own a very successful "Old Country Pub" in Calgary, Alberta. Their Shepherd's Pie is justly famous. Vincent Lee, kitchen manager at the Unicorn says the recipe came directly from Ireland via the Irish Rovers more than 10 years ago.

2 lb lean ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 oz beef broth
2 tbsp butter; mixed with
2 tbsp flour
2 lb potatoes; cooked and mashed
butter

Cook ground beef in frying pan until brown. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add beef broth; bring to a boil. Stir in enough of the butter/flour roux to make a thick gravy to bind the filling. Pour into large shallow baking pan and cool. The filling should be about 1-1/2 inches deep.

Cover the meat mixture in the pan with the corn and then top with the hot mashed potatoes. Smooth potatoes evenly, brush surface with butter. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes.