Lager Gravy Mashed Potato Bowl

I was attempting to make a pasta sauce, but it wasn't really coming together. The flavor was good, but I couldn't quite get the consistency to what I wanted. So, I scraped it, well, I ate it, but I'm not going to share it. I decided to take some of the things I learned from that experience, learn from my mistakes, and make something new. It turned out really well, and I hope you enjoy it. One of the things I really like about this recipe is that the gravy is made in 1 skillet.

Ingredients:

Gravy:

2 thick sliced of bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced fine
1lb of cheese steak steaks, cut into bite sized pieces
2 T of flour
2 12oz bottles of lager
Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes:

2lb of butter potatoes, cut into chunks
1 C of heavy cream

½ C of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 10 inch skillet, render the fat out of the bacon, and remove the cooked bacon bits. Saute the onions in the bacon grease until soft and translucent, then remove. Finally, brown the beef in the remaining bacon grease, and once the beef is well cooked, add the flour. Stir the beef and the flour until well combined and then add the onions and the bacon back in and pour in the beer. Allow the gravy to come to a simmer and then reduce the heat and simmer until the desired consistency is reached, about 45 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

When the gravy is about 25 minutes out, place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until the pieces are easily pierced with  a fork or crushed with tongs. Drain the potatoes and place them in the bowl of your mixer, with the whisk attachment, add the butter and cream and whip until creamy. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I recommend serving the mashed potatoes topped with the gravy and then garnished with some shredded cheddar cheese, and maybe some sour cream.