Hunter's Pie (Our Take on Shepherd's Pie)

So there is nothing I love more in the winter months than a warm, savory, hot dish of sorts. A crowd favorite is the traditional shepherd's pie, and Adam and I make some version of it every winter. This time we took a chance and left out the breading to follow our current diets, as well as used venison since we have so much in stock. We are calling it a "Hunter's Pie" and honestly it might be the best take on Shepherd's Pie I've ever eaten (and I love a good breading). 

Hunter's Pie

Ingredients:

• Venison (meat)
  
• 1 stick unsalted butter
  
• 1 cup Brussels sprouts (chopped)
  
• 1 cup Carrot (diced)
  
• 1 cup white Onion (diced)
  
• 1 cup Celery (diced)
  
• 1 cup white Mushrooms (chopped)
  
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
  
• ¾ cup Red wine
  
• 1 Tbsp Flour (All purpose)
  
• 1 cup Beef stock (or chicken stock)
  
• Salt and Black pepper to taste
  
• 4 cups mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes (we bought pre-made mashed potatoes)
  

Directions:
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• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
  
• In a large cast iron skillet, melt ½ a stick of butter on medium-high heat
  
• Cook your brussels sprouts, carrots, onion, and celery for 5-7 minutes
  
• Season this mixture with salt and black pepper to taste. (Feel free to add any other seasonings you desire at this point as well)
  
• Add in your Venison and cook until it is lightly browned (more rare than medium)
  
• Add in your garlic and white mushrooms, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes
  
• Pour in your red wine and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the wine has reduced a bit
  
• In a separate container, mix together your beef stock and flour
  
• Pour in your beef stock, flour mixture and make sure everything is mixed together well
  
• At this point you can transfer everything into a casserole dish, or leave it in your skillet and bake it in that
  
• Cover everything in your mashed potatoes, and fluff up the surface of the potatoes with a fork. Season again with salt and pepper if desired
  
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the surface is crisp and browned. Serve immediately
  
• Enjoy!