Comfort Food to the Max!

Have I ever mentioned that I love my wife? I do. Yesterday, while I was diligently writing my thesis, Miss Beverly was baking up a storm. In the span of two hours, she whipped up some really tasty banana nut muffins AND made our favorite donut muffins. Bev's been promising to blog those recipes, so make sure you hound her until she spreads that joy. Anyway, Bev wasn't finished there. Later, we made Rachel Ray's Steakhouse Shepherd's Pie, which was literally one of the best things I've ever eaten (I say we, because I swooped in to make the drinks -- VG and water with a cherry on top). The pie/casserole had everything you could want in it...beef, carrots, mushrooms, onions, gravy, bacon, blue-cheese mashed potatoes. I have a feeling it will be even better as a leftover as the juices settle in and redistribute, so we're in for a treat the rest of the week. Here's the recipe. One word of warning, though...it uses up about pot, pan, and utensil in the house so make sure your dishwasher is empty.
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2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt
1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices good quality bacon or peppered bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
Black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock, divided
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled (recommended: Maytag)
3 to 4 tablespoons chives
1 teaspoon paprika Place potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and bring up to a boil. Season water with salt and boil potatoes until tender, 12 to15 minutes. Heads up: save a ladle of starchy cooking water just before draining.

Heat a skillet with high sides over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan and the bacon. Crisp bacon and remove to paper towel lined plate. Add sirloin to the pan and caramelize the meat, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes more then season with salt and pepper.

While meat cooks heat a small sauce pot over medium heat and melt butter, whisk the flour into butter, cook 2 minutes then whisk beef stock into flour, add Worcestershire and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Thicken 6 to 7 minutes.

Pour gravy over meat and turn on broiler.

Temper egg yolk by beating it with the starchy potato cooking water. Place drained potatoes back into the pot you cooked them in to dry them out a little. Mash potatoes with egg yolk and sour cream then fold in crumbled blue cheese and chives. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and spread across the top of the meat in an even layer. Garnish the potatoes with paprika and place under broiler to crisp and brown the potatoes, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately right from the hot skillet.