Add the worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef stock, and spices to the meat and vegetables.
1 Cup Beef Broth, 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper, 1 Teaspoon Thyme, 1 Bay Leaf
Stir in the frozen peas and spices, and simmer until the sauce thickens.
1 Cup Peas
Layer and bake.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
Remove the bay leaf from the meat mixture.
Transfer the meat mixture to a lightly greased baking dish.
Spread the mashed potatoes in an even layer over the meat filling, making sure not to mix it into the meat layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes start to get golden and the filling starts to bubble.
Allow it to cool 5-10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Making shepherd's pie your way.
Want a thicker crust on your mashed potato layer? - Add 1-2 egg yolks to your mashed potatoes if you want a thicker crust to develop on your mashed potato layer. The egg acts like a binder and helps the potatoes get more golden while baking.
Add cheese - If you are wanting this to be a dairy-free casserole, skip this. If not, and you love cheese, feel free to top your mashed potatoes layer with some cheddar cheese for an extra burst of flavor and texture.
Tips and tricks.
Brown and drain the meat. - Making sure you are browning your ground meat for this gluten-free casserole is going to add the most flavor. Because we are using ground meat in this dish, you might need to drain any excess fat once the meat is browned. This will help prevent a layer or grease from separating in the sauce when it is baked.
Place the baking dish on a baking sheet when you are baking it. - This cottage pie recipe tends to bubble up along the edges, which can end up in a big mess in your oven. Save yourself some cleaning, and just place the dish on a baking tray in the oven when you cook it.