Shepherd's Pie

Revised from an earlier post

I'm not sure if it is just a regional thing or not, but in this area, you grow up eating Shepherd's Pie.  Even if your mother never made it for you, it was guaranteed to be on your plate at least two times a month at school.  For me, it consisted of a croissant crust, a funky hamburger mixture, mushy peas and carrots, and a mashed potato topping.  If you were lucky, you got cheese on top.  I know it sounds horrible, but man, as a kid, I LOVED IT!  So when I was thinking of some of my childhood favorites the other day, I immediately thought of this.  However, I wanted to make it little more refined to serve my husband and mother in love.  I tinkered with the ingredients a little and what I have come up with is truly wonderful!  It is a one pot meal, with a show stopper presentation, and I know EVERYONE is going to love it!

It's so quick and easy, let's get started!

Shepherd's Pie:

*Prep Time: 15 min.  *Cook Time:  30 min.  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Butter

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 lb. Ground Beef

1 Onion, diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2 Carrots, diced

1 tbsp. Flour

1 tsp. Thyme

1 c. Beef Stock

2 c. Peas

Mashed Potatoes

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Parsley to finish

To begin you will need to heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat your cast iron skillet, or any oven proof skillet, and add 2 tbsp. of butter, and 2 tbsp. of oil.

Once the skillet is hot and the butter is melted, add your diced onions and sweat until soft and translucent.

When the onions are soft and translucent, add the diced carrots. 

 Allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes to soften.

As the carrots begin to soften, add the garlic.

Next, you will toss in your ground beef and brown, this will take 8-10 minutes. 

When the ground beef is nice and brown, add the flour.

Stir the flour into the beef well.

Now you will add the beef stock.  Immediately you will see a gravy happen. 

Isn't gravy beautiful?  *SIGH* Gravy...I know, I know....moving forward.

It will look like this.  :)...Gravy....

Taste for seasoning.  Add salt and pepper, as well as the thyme.

Here is where you will want to add your frozen peas. 

Now top with the mashed potatoes.  

I'm going to be honest about something here.  I am an advocate for making things from scratch.  Ask any of my friends.  HOWEVER, I have found that instant mashed potatoes, in this recipe, work really well.  It takes two packages, but the result is divine!  Don't judge me.  You are more than welcome to do all that peeling and boiling and mashing if you want, but on a busy weeknight, I am keeping it simple! 

Spread the mashed potatoes in a nice single layer over your filling.  I like to take a fork and make some grooves in the potatoes as well.  

Place your pie in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes I like to place the pie under the broiler for a couple minutes.  It browns the edges of the potatoes and makes for a stunning presentation.  

And there you have it!  A one-pot-meal supreme! YUM!  By using simple, fresh, ingredients, we are able to turn a lunchroom classic into a wonderful meal that your entire family will devour!  I can't wait to hear how this works for you and I would LOVE to see your pictures on my Facebook page.  Enjoy! 

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,

~The Kitchen Wife~