Shepherd's Pie with Root Vegetable Topping

I always thought of Shepherd's Pie as some boring thing involving flavorless ground beef, peas and some watery potato-like topping. I saw a recipe in the section of Bon Appetit that features recipes readers have requested from restaurants that inspired me to rethink the dish in a much more positive light.

I followed the recipe as written and it was awe inspiring. The richness of flavors the parsnip and squash add to the potato topping is incredible. The meat is so wonderfully tender it shreds in the pan and melts in the mouth.

The restaurant is the Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Illinois and here's the recipe.

Shepherd's Pie with Root Vegetable Topping Recipe
2 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut to 1" pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter or refined coconut oil

1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, peeled and large dice
1 cup celery, large dice
1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp fresh thyme (no stems)
2 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
2 cups beef stock
4 bay leaves
1 bunch chard, ribs removed (they make great veggie stock) and leaves chopped

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large, ovenproof saucepan, sear the meat in butter or oil over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until the meat is browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and sauté the onions until tender. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Return the meat to the pan. Add the stock. Cover and cook slowly until the meat is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the chard until wilted (about 2 minutes). Let sit while you prepare the topping.

For the topping:
4 ounces parsnip, peeled and chopped
3 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 ounces butternut squash, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. add parsnips and cook 2 minutes. add potatoes and squash and cook until all vegetables are very tender,about 10 min longer. Drain , return vegetables to pot, add butter and mash until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on top of the braised meat.

Bake at 375 F until filling is bubbly and the top browns a bit (about 30 minutes).

Serve the pan family style on the table.