Servings: 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 large carrots (about 2 cups), cut into sugar-cube size pieces
2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups frozen peas
2 pounds sweet or white potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed with butter and milk or cream
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated, optional
Make the mashed potatoes:
Peel the potatoes. Boil them until fork tender (you want them to mash easily). Drain, mash, and mix in butter and milk, cream or half and half. Season to taste.
Make the veggies:
In a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms, carrots. Sauté until carrots are softened.
Make the gravy:
Add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine (sizzzzle) and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook out for a minute or two. Slowly add the broth, stirring it in until a gravy starts to form. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further.
Assemble & Bake:
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the peas. Leave the mixture in the skillet or pour into a casserole or large pie dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, brush with butter and/or sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 15 -20 minutes at 375ºf. Finish under the broiler for a few minutes to get it nice and brown on top.