Gnocchi Shepherd’s Pie

Yes those are the words you are reading right now.

Also, sorry about the BURNT cheese. Sometimes these things happen in life, so we just hold hands, press our faces together and surge on.

I’ve been dying (said like a 15-year old) to show you this recipe for like, years. LITERALLY DAYS. More than three months! A while now.

Hello?

It’s basically a red-wine braised beef, that’s been cooked for hours and hours on the stove, with some stew-like veggies, then shredded up and nestled under a comforter of gnocchi and cheese bliss. Hiiiiiiieeeeeeeee yuz.

Definitely a weekend meal! Or a weekday meal, if you’re home all day liked me with only the voices in your head.

Now I got you.

First up! You’ll hack that hunk of meat (sorry) into huge chunks, salt all the sides and brown it up. But be sure to DRY the meat (with paper towels) like Meryl Streep so kindly asks of you in Julie and Julia, so that the meat BROWNS properly.

Good job. Now move it out of the pot.

In the pot, add a diced carrot, onion and celery! The trio of life and love. Once that gets good and tender, add the minced garlic. Once that scent punches you in the face (about 30 seconds later), add the beef chunky hunky hunks back.

And the tomato paste. And the wine! And the stock. And let that simmer on low for like, three hours. Every 20 or so, give it a little nudge to make sure nothing is sticking or getting irritable.

What, that is a real thing.

Now, shred the beef (it should fall apart in your nose and face and pot and you will weep like a baby sloth), until it looks something like that. ^

Theeeen you’ll transfer the beefy mix to a little casserole dish, sprinkle some peas all in it, and top with the dried (!) gnocchi. Top it with cheese, and sliiiiide it on into the oven.

The weeping hasn’t stopped, by the way. Not even a slow down.

That gnocchi softens just perfectly in the oven. No need to boil it first! I actually soaked it once, to give it a head start. But I’ve also made this with zero soaking, and still – baby cartoon birds sang at my window sill.

True story don’t quote me on it.

And the cheese? So bubbly and browned (er, BURNT if you’re me), and face plantingly enticing.

True story you can quote me on it.

UGH. I seriously look at it and want to get revenge with my mouth so bad.

It’s DELICIOUS, you guys. That beef is show stopping. And the gnocchi, straight from a bag, so low key, elegant but unexpected! And the cheese. Duh.

It’s still winter. You know what you have to do.

Gnocchi Shepherd’s Pie

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Ingredients

• 2-3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks and dried with a paper towel
• 3-4 Tbs. olive oil
• Half white onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. dried thyme
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 pound dried gnocchi
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• coarse salt

Instructions

1. Season the beef chunks all over liberally with salt, and place them in a deep pot with a Tbs. or two of olive oil. Turn every couple of minutes, letting the beef brown all over. Remove from the pot.
2. To the pot, add another Tbs or so olive oil, and add the diced onion, carrot and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté until tender, just a few minutes. It will darken in all that glorious beef browned bits! Now add the minced garlic and let it sauté another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato paste and the dried thyme to the pot, and press the paste into the veggies, just about a minute. Add the beef back to the pan (with its juices), and add the wine and beef stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer on low, partially covered for about 3 hours. Keep checking on the beef every 20 or so to make sure it’s not sticking.
4. After about 3 hours, flip the oven to 400, and shred the beef (either right in the pot, or on a cutting board nearby) until gorgeously shredded. Transfer the beef mix to a casserole dish and sprinkle with the peas. Evenly arrange the gnocchi on top of the beef, and top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, or until the cheese is browning and starting to bubble.
5. Let rest for a few minutes, then serve it up!
6. Makes 4-6 servings.

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https://bevcooks.com/2019/02/gnocchi-shepherds-pie/

Could someone help me off the floor?