Shepherd's Pie 2014 St Patty's with Lamb

Shepherds to not shepherd cattle. They herd sheep...  Also, I prefer a meat based gravy to the tomato based sauce.  In a hurry, I'll use jarred gravy, rather than tomato paste / sauce.
It makes for a totally different flavor.

2 Lbs Lamb
1 + 1/2 chopped onion (about 1+ cup)
1/2 Lb Carrots sliced thin (about 1 c. chopped)
1/2 Lb Frozen Peas  (about 1 c. chopped)
4 cloves of garlic
1 C Beef broth (I could not find my frozen lamb stock, I must have used it all.)
2 TBS Worcestershire
1 TBS oil.
1 -2 TBS flour
1/2-1 tsp salt, 1/2-1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp thyme

5 Lbs Potatoes (Only used about three, but leftover mashed, mmm)

1 C Half and Half or Milk

1/4 C Sour Cream

1 Stick of Sweet Butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400

Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2-1" cubes.  Boil in salted water.

Brown the lamb in oil, adding all the spices including Worcestershire sauce.
Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon when browned.
Saute the onion and carrots 3 minutes in the leftover juices/oils. Add the garlic, 1 minute more.
Add back the meat, sprinkle in the flour, coating the meat, cooking it and thickening the sause
Add beef broth (use the leftover potato water to make a thicker beef broth from base.)
Simmer until sauce thickens.

Mash the potatoes adding salt, butter, half and half, sour cream, until smooth and creamy.

Place meat filling in casserole.
spread the potatoes over the meat filling
sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake 20-25 until browned.

Middle Eastern "Kefta" Meatloaf - Experiment in Progress

I love middle eastern food: Hummus, Babaganoush, Shwarma, Falafel, Cous Cous and Kefta Kabobs. Kefta Kabobs are ground lamb rolled up on a skewer and grilled. Think sausage without the benefit of casing.

I was in Shoprite the other day, and don't normally shop there. To my delight, the had ground Lamb! So I passed on the "meatloaf mix" b/c I can get that at the Acme in Trolley Sqr. I also got some ground veal. Yeah, I know, I'm a veal eating heathen. So I decided to make a Kefta Meatloaf. It was yummy but needs some seasoning work. - It was mild, slightly creamy and you could taste the lamb. I think it needs Cumin. And Mint is an option too.

1.15 LBS ground lamb
1.15 LBS ground veal (a lean beef prob. would have worked here too.)
(Might want to increase the lamb to beef ratio.)
1 MED onion - (chopped fine - hide from kids)
2-3 TBS (abt.) Fresh chopped parsley. a "bunch"?
1/2 Cup plain yogurt
salt / pepper to taste
1 cup Ritz breadcrumbs (slightly less that a stack - crushed fine)
in a 2 qt. corningware caserole dish
350 deg. 1.25 hrs. uncovered.

untried options:
Cumin - how much?
mint - how much?