- ½ pound ground beef (not ground sirloin, which is too low in fat)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ pound cremini mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Wondra® flour
- 1 package Better than Gravy, Beef Gravy® mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup frozen carrots
- ½ package frozen Ore-Ida tater tots or frozen Ore-Ida diced hash brown potatoes
- ½ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375°.
Brown beef in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Blot pan with paper towel without disturbing any fond that developed.
Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and tomato paste. Sauté an additional 45 seconds.
Add mushrooms and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have softened, given up their liquid, and begun to color. Sprinkle with flour.
Whisk together gravy mix, water, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Add to pan. Return beef to pan. Add frozen peas and carrots to pan. Mix well to combine.
Put the potatoes in a bowl add 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt to taste. Mix.
Raise heat and bring to a boil. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish. Top mixture with cheddar cheese and potatoes.
Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are golden brown and mixture reads at least 160°. It should take about 25 minutes. If the potatoes don't brown in that time, stick them under the broiler element for 5-10 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Choose a pleasant red wine but don't push the boat out too far.
