Tommy Stinson has always wanted to learn how to prepare Shepherd's Pie, a hotdish layered with meat and vegetables topped with mashed potatoes. So before Bash & Pop were set to perform their first live show in 22 years at the 7th St. Entry, The Current and Cooks of Crocus Hill teamed up to make Tommy's Shepherd's Pie dream come true.

Jill Riley and Brian Oake of The Current's Oake & Riley in the Morning along with three lucky winners joined Tommy Stinson and Steve Selvidge of Bash & Pop at Cooks of Crocus Hill for a competitive cooking class hosted by owner Karl Benson. Team Current prepared a lamb-based Shepherd's Pie while Team Mash & Pop went the beef route.

Things got heated. Find video of the friendly Shepherd's Pie cooking competition above, and find recipes for both dishes below.

Cooks of Crocus Hill Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie with Ground Beef

Serves 8

Beef Filling
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 f pounds ground ground beef
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Worchestershire
1 cup frozen peas

Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
Kosher salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onion, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer until the juices thicken, about
10 minutes, then add the peas. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt. Spread the potatoes over the meat mixture. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Shepherd's Pie with Ground Lamb

Serves 8

2 tbsp. olive oil
1f lb. ground lamb
3 carrots - chopped
2 leeks - chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
f lb. Swiss chard - chopped
1 c. frozen peas
1f c. beef broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. corn starch
3 tbsp. water
1f lb. russet potatoes
7 tbsp. unsalted butter
f c. milk
2 oz. Parmesan

Preparation

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. Drain fat, reserving approx 2 tbsp. In same skillet, add remaining oil, carrots, and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, peas, beef broth, and reserved lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water and stir until you have a thick slurry. After the chicken stock has simmered for a moment, pour in the slurry and stir the mixture thoroughly. This will thicken the liquid into gravy. Add more stock as necessary to gain proper consistency. Remove from heat and cover. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot over high heat, bring potatoes and enough salted water to cover to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 5 tablespoons butter and mash potatoes. Stir in milk and season with salt. If potatoes are too stiff, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Transfer lamb mixture to an 11-inch deep-dish pie plate. Spread mashed potatoes over lamb mixture. Sprinkle parmesan on potatoes. Dot with remaining butter. Bake until tops are lightly browned, about 45 minutes.