Shepherdess' Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see note)
1 medium onion, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup cracker crumb (smash crackers in a small plastic bag)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I like fresh best, but dried will work)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 lb ground beef (or lamb)
4 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded (orig. recipe called for kefalotyri but I've never found that, any cheese will work, but jack or font)
1 teaspoon paprika

Preparation

Start by making Bechamel Sauce: Melt 1/4 cup butter, then whisk in 3 tablespoons flour; cook for a minute, then slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups warm milk (can microwave milk a minute beforehand to warm it). Cook this, stirring constantly till it thickens and coats spoon. Set aside till ready to use.
Combine 3/4 cup of Bechamel Sauce with onion, egg, cracker crumbs, parsley, salt, thyme, red pepper, and vinegar.
Add this sauce mixture to meat and toss with two forks to mix lightly (don't overwork meat) Put this all into a casserole dish, level off top and make a slight indent with back of spoon (just like with meatloaf).
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, occasionally using a spoon to remove fat that collects in the indentation.
Combine potatoes with remaining Bechamel Sauce.
Remove meat from oven, sprinkle with the cheese, top with potatoes. Sprinkle with the paprika. Bake an additional 20 minutes.