Shepherd's pie with lentils and carrots (hachis parmentier)

Rinse the carrots under cold water, peel them with the knife and dice them small on the cutting board.

Drain the canned lentils in a colander and pour them into the saucepan with 20 cl of cold water. Bring to a boil then let them simmer 10 min over medium heat.

In the nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and diced carrots and sauté for 5 min, stirring.

Push the veggies to the side of the skillet, add the ground beef and brown it for 5 min, breaking it up with the wooden spoon. Salt and pepper.

Stir the drained lentils into the skillet with the meat. Add half the crème fraîche and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them 15 min in the saucepan of salted boiling water. Drain, then mash them with the potato masher.

Add the rest of the crème fraîche to the mash and stir until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour the meat and lentil mix into the baking dish. Spread the mash over it, smoothing it with a spoon. Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese.

Bake the dish at 200°C (thermostat 6-7) for 10 min, until the top is nicely golden. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and pop it back in for 2 min if needed.