Mom's Shepherd's Pie

Well, I've had this cold/flu/demon-spawn virus thing on and off for the last 30 days and I've basically eaten a banana, some soup and a cracker in that time. Thankfully I'm starting to feel better and two things that I needed were comfort food and meat.

My Mom always made shepherd's pie for us as kids and it was and is one of my favorite meals. My parents are both from Scotland so before the battle of the Brits begin here, let me stress that this is how my Mom made it. You see, sometimes it's made with lamb and sometimes with beef. The vegetables involved are also up for discussion. Some people will even argue that this is not technically called Shepherd's pie. All I know is that it's my mama's recipe and I'm in no position to question her. I also know that it totally hit the spot and was exactly what I needed. Thanks Mom!

Recipe:
1 lb lean ground beef
4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" dice
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn niblets
1 cup diced carrots
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
butter

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Once the water comes to a boil add the diced potatoes. Boil the potatoes about 20 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until there are no more lumps. Set the potatoes aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until it's no longer pink. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Stir to combine. Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes or until the stock has reduced into a gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the peas and corn.
4. Spoon the meat mixture into a casserole dish. Top the meat mixture with the mashed potatoes. Spread the potatoes over the meat making sure to cover the entire surface of the meat with the potatoes. Place dots of butter on top of the potatoes. Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes become nice and golden brown on the top.