Italian Sausage Shepherd's Pie

This is a wonderful meal that is really quite easy to prepare.  Everyone will be impressed by the twist on this old classic.

• 4 carrots chopped bite sized
• 2 parsnips chopped bite sized
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 6 Italian Sausages Sliced into 1 inch Pieces
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 tbs soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• leftover mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a bowl toss parsnips and carrots with 2 Tbs olive oil.  Sprinkle vegetables with salt and bake on a cookie sheet until fork-tender; about 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute until just tender and then add sausage. Cook sausage until browned and onions are caramelized.  Add flour and stir for 1 minute on medium heat. Add wet ingredients and stir until bubbling. Add roasted veggies and stir.

Pour into baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown..

Cooking definitions:

saute- To cook food quickly, using a small amount of fat/oil  without browning.  It helps cook flavors together. It is important not to over crowd ingredients when sauteing. 

fork-tender- When something is cooked to the point that a fork easily penetrates it all the way through.