Serves 4

1 pounds Idaho potatoes, cut into chunks*

1TB salt

1 tsp t extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices good quality bacon or peppered bacon, chopped

1 lb good quality ground beef

1 onion, chopped

8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms

¼ tsp black pepper 

1 TB cornstarch or potato starch

¾  cups low sodium beef stock, chicken stock or water 

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 egg yolk (optional)

1 ½ TB vegan sour cream

4 oz  crumbled gluten/dairy free blue cheese or cheddar

1 TB scallions chopped

1 tsp paprika

Place potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water season with salt and bring up to a boil. Turn off heat and cover for 8-10 minutes or potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork or knife.  Heat a skillet  over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, and the bacon.  Crisp bacon and remove to paper towel lined plate. Add ground beef and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, onions and black pepper  cook until onions are translucent mushrooms have coloured (4-6 minutes). 

Combine stock, worcestershire sauce and starch.  When meat is cooked pour liquid to the pan stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened.  Turn on broiler. Drain the potatoes reserving 1 cup of the water.  If using, temper egg yolk by beating it with the starchy potato cooking water. Place drained potatoes back into the pot you cooked. Mash potatoes with egg yolk and sour cream then fold in crumbled blue cheese and scallions. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and spread across the top of the meat in an even layer. Sprinkle the potatoes with paprika and place under broiler to crisp and brown the potatoes, 2 to 3 minutes. Crumble reserved bacon over top. 

*substitute sweet potato