Signature shepards pie (recipe + photos)

Well if you know me well, you'll know this is not my first time making it. Good times back to year 10 food technology making this during an exam (when Masterchef was still only in it's first season).

Anyhow, these are my mini beef shepards pies:
(even the little monsters will like it)

Signature Shepard's Pie
(Makes 12)

Ingredients:
Pie Filling
- 1 carrot
- 1 zucchini
- 1/2 onion
- 1 stick celery
- 250g mince meat (lean)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tbs corn flour, to reduce gravy
- Salt, pepper, mixed herbs, paprika, dry garlic flakes
- Garlic paste/freshly chopped fine garlic

Potato Mash
- 5 large potatoes
- 3 tbs milk
- 2 tbs melted butter
- Salt (to taste)

Pastry
Shortcrust pastry (Can use frozen or homemade)

Method:
Potato Mash
1. Peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces (about 3 x 2.5 cm roughly) so that they will boil faster
2. Boil the potatoes in a large pot for roughly 15minutes, or until they are soft when you put a knife through it
3. Drain the potatoes and place into a large bowl. Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps.
4. Add milk, butter and salt and mix well.

Filling
1. Dice the zucchini, carrot, onion and celery into very small pieces, as it will be inside the minature pies
2. Season the mince meat with salt, pepper, mixed herbs, paprika, garlic flakes
3. Set a pan to high heat and when the pat is hot, lightly oil the pan and add garlic paste/fresh garlic.
4. Cook vegetables until they are translucent and soft (roughly 3-5 minutes) and lower the heat after the first minute or so so that it doesn't burn
5. Add the mince and cook for another 5 minutes, until you see the meat has no blood
6. Add the beef stock, stir through
7. Turn the heat back to high and thicken the sauce with the cornflour so that the stock is not watery
8. Done!

Assembling
Note: Since these are mini, I'm making them in muffin pans
* Preheat oven to 185 degrees*
1. If using frozen pastry, make sure it is softened by room temperature. Using the edge of a small bowl/large circular cookie cutter (11cm diameter), cut out 12 circles of pastry
2. Gently place the circles into the muffin tins (Easy if you let it overlap as you put it in, then press the overlaps into the side of the tin)
3. Place the filling into each tin, so that it fills up 1/2 to 3/4 of the tin.
4. Spoon the potato mixture over the top, filling the rest of the tin (you can heap it so it looks good)
5. Graze the potato with a knife to get the line marks
6. Place into preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top of the potato is brown and pastry is golden
7. Remove from oven, cool down and serve immediately! :)