Ingredients
For mashed potatoes:
4-6 medium to large russets potatoes milk, butter, salt and pepper
For the meat filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, or beef, (ground turkey would work too)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or GF flour (optional)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp freshly dried thyme
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans (optional)
1-2 leaves of kale (optional)
Preparation
Peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces, then cover them with water just up to the top of the potatoes. Season the water with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling.  Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch pan (preferably oven-safe) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook until nearly done. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to add more oil. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Lightly season with salt and pepper again, being mindful that you salted the meat earlier. Once the vegetables become translucent in color, usually about 3 minutes, add the meat to the pan again and finish seasoning with thyme and rosemary. Add the optional ingredients such as the kale and green beans if desired and mix thoroughly again. Sprinkle the meat with the flour (or omit if gluten-free) and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and Worcestershire, and stir to combine. The flour makes the liquid slightly thicker but it's not necessary. Reduce the heat to low until the sauce is thickened slightly, about a minute or two.
Prepare your mashed potatoes as you usually would. Butter, salt, pepper, and milk are the usual ingredients.
If you are using a stove-to-oven pan, layer the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes on top, ensuring to spread them smoothly to the edges to create a seal that prevents bubbling. If not using a stove-to-oven pan, transfer the meat mixture to a 9 x 12 or 8 x 10 baking dish and then add the potatoes on top. Remember, the larger the baking dish, the thinner the layer of meat mixture will be!
Place in the preheated for 15-25 minutes depending on how brown you want your potato topping and the surface area of the potatoes. Remove and let cool for approximately 5- 15 minutes before serving.Â