Hamburger Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

My family loves mashed potatoes and gravy. Who doesn't, right? So I thought I'd try making a hamburger gravy to make it a main dish instead of a side dish. I know that this is a rather classic American dish, but I must admit I'd never tried it before and it is just so yummy! It's also really simple to make. Comfort food at it's best. You may have your own family recipe for this one, but this is the one I came up with to suit my family's tastes. Everyone loved this dinner and this recipe made enough gravy to freeze half of it for another dinner. Bonus! Feel free to cut it in half if you have a smaller family.

Hamburger Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

Gravy:
1 lb ground beef
2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 cups water
5 teaspoons beef bouillon, granules
2 packets brown gravy mix
6 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups beef stock

Mashed Potatoes:
5-6 pounds russet potatoes
1 stick butter, softened
1/2-1 cup cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop up the potatoes, add them to a pot and cover them with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and boil for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. Drain in a colander and transfer drained potatoes to a stand mixer. Add the softened stick of butter, and some of the cream or milk. Whip with whisk attachment, adding milk to make a nice fluffy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a pot, breaking up with a spoon or spatula as it cooks. Add 2 teaspoon of Montreal Steak seasoning as it cooks (or if you don't have that you can use salt, pepper, and garlic powder). Meanwhile in a mixing bowl whisk together: 4 cups cold water, beef bouillon granules, 2 packets of brown gravy mix, and 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Once the beef is browned add the water/brown gravy mixture in the mixing bowl to the pot. Add the 4 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil, stirring, and let boil until gravy is thickened. Turn down heat and simmer, stirring for about 5 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.