Recipes in this article:
Shepherd's pie
Herb-Braised Carrots
Grand Hotel Pecan Balls with Fudge Sauce

Come for dinner!

This do-ahead dish is perfect for a book club meeting or other casual fall gathering.

got to know Shakespeare really well in high school. Mind you, it was an accident. I elected to take "Advanced Dramatic Works," thinking it was an acting class. It turned out to be an advanced English course, and I was in for all Shakespeare, all the time. Today, no longer faced with the daunting choice of high school electives, I still try to read as much as I can. A while ago, I started a reading group with some friends. It was a great way to meet, eat and improve ourselves. I hosted the first meeting, and in an effort to relive high school, I chose good old Hamlet. And in keeping with the spirit of the evening, I made a shepherd's pie. Not only did it set an "Olde English" mood, it tasted great and I was able to cook part of it in advance. A centuries-old dish turned into something totally today. It's good for any occasion ... in any century!

This week's recipe: Shepherd's Pie About the author: Hip young lifestyle guru and television host Katie Brown is the author of the brand-new Katie Brown Entertains (Harper Resource, $35).

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Shepherd's Pie

Prep time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 20-30 minutes.
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 cups pearl onions, peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped celery (about 2 small stalks)
2 cups cleaned, sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs. flour
2 pounds lean ground beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup beef broth
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsps. dried thyme
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley (plus a bit for garnish)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Cheddar

Garlic mashed potatoes:
4 medium to large Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 cup milk
6 Tbs. unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, toss, cover and steam until they begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and celery and stir. Add mushrooms and cook until they give off liquid and start to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir 1 Tb. of flour into the vegetables and cook 1-2 minutes. Add meat, break it up, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned. Add broth, tomato paste, thyme and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer until gravy thickens and is absorbed by meat. Stir in 1/2 cup parsley and remaining 2 Tbs. flour. Pour filling into a deep pie dish or shallow casserole dish and let cool.

Make the mashed potatoes (this can be done as the vegetable-meat mixture cooks): Put potatoes and garlic in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk and butter over low heat until butter melts. Check potatoes for doneness (a knife poked into the center should go in easily). Thoroughly drain, then mash potatoes and garlic in a mixer using the whip attachment. Add milk mixture and continue mashing. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat mixture to form a crust. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with additional chopped parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To do ahead: Make vegetable-meat mixture up to a day in advance. Spread in casserole dish, cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking; add potato topping as directed. The potatoes are best if made shortly before baking.

Serves: 6.
Nutrition per serving: 683 calories, 42g protein, 51g carbohydrates, 34g fat (15g saturated), 5g fiber, 475mg sodium.

TIPS
If you can't find fresh pearl onions, just chop an equivalent amount of yellow or white onion, or use frozen pearl onions, thawed.
Make sure the liquid (tomato paste, broth) is completely absorbed by the meat-vegetable mixture so it doesn't bubble up later through the potatoes.
You may use leftover, cooked hamburger meat rather than raw, or make the meat mixture a day ahead and reheat it before cooking.
Be careful not to overwhip the potatoes, or they will become gluey. I season them with lots of salt and pepper. They're good on their own as a side dish, too.
Topping the pie with the cheese helps with browning. As the cheese bakes, it makes a nice crust on top of the potatoes.

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Herb-Braised Carrots

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

10 medium to large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces on a diagonal
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 stalks fresh rosemary
6 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 tsp. granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing with a knife or skewer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the rosemary stalks before serving.

Serves 6
Nutrition per serving: 107 calories, 2g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 4g fat (2g saturated), 5g fiber, 109mg sodium.

Grand Hotel Pecan Balls with Fudge Sauce

Prep time: 30 minutes

Vanilla ice cream (buy a 1/2 gallon but you won't use it all) 1 generous cup whole pecan halves, roasted* 1/2 pint heavy cream 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup (8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 Tb. vanilla extract 1/2 Tb. cr¸me de cacao (clear or brown), optional * Roast the pecans by spreading in a single layer over a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees for approximately 6 to 10 minutes. Watch careful as nuts burn quickly. Cool on a plate.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure the ice cream is very cold before you begin. Scoop ice cream into a ball about the size of a baseball, perfecting the shape by rolling between your hands. Work quickly, and make six balls. Put pan in freezer for a few minutes so the ice cream firms up. Remove from freezer and press roasted pecan halves into the surface of each ball until well coated on all sides. Return to freezer until serving time. Combine the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a sautˇ pan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla extract and cr¸me de cacao until the chips have completely melted and the fudge sauce is smooth. This makes about 3 cups, and the extra sauce can be covered and refrigerated up to one week.

To serve, place each pecan ball on a chilled dessert plate and surround with approximately 1/4 cup of the fudge sauce.

Serves 6
Nutrition per serving: 670 calories, 7g protein, 65g carbohydrates, 46g fat (15g saturated), 2g fiber, 111mg sodium.