Family Foodies

Well, today I was joined by my good friend Kelly McCausey. Kelly had a hankerin’ for Shepherd’s Pie, and asked me to teach her how to make one! So I shared the age-old recipe. We had fun chatting over the how-to’s as well as a few variations for this yummy old favorite. I can’t wait to see the picture of Kelly cooking her own, and to hear (from Sean) how it turned out!

Here’s Kelly’s Pic:
Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 8

Cook 10 medium potatoes until soft; mash with 1/2 stick butter and 1 C milk. Meantime,

Brown 2 lbs ground beef with one medium onion; drain. Return to pan. Add one can cream-of-mushroom soup, warm till heated through. (I add pepper and a little garlic salt at this point.)

Spray 9×13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour meat mixture in bottom. Pour 2-3 C frozen vegetables over meat mixture; cover with mashed potatoes; slice another ½ stick butter over potatoes. Broil until top is golden brown. (I prefer to bake @ 350 for 30 min.)

Variations:

• Use leftover mashed potatoes and/or vegetables.
• Vary the amounts of meat and vegetables according to what you have on hand.
• Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over vegetables before covering with potatoes.
• Substitute cream of onion or cream of cheddar for mushroom soup.
• Substitute cooked, cubed chicken or turkey for ground beef, and use cream of chicken or cream of celery soup instead of the mushroom.

The traditional Shepherd’s Pie is quite similar to the TaterTot Casserole, which always goes over big! You use frozen peas, and substitute tater tots for the mashed potatoes.

Italian Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 4-5

Cook in large skillet until brown, drain; return to pan:

1 lb bulk Italian sausage
½ C chopped onion

Add:
3 large eggs, beaten
1 – 14 1/2 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp fennel seeds

Spoon into 1 – 9 in unbaked pie shell.
At this point you may wrap well and freeze for later. OR:
Cover edge of pie with foil and bake @ 375 F for 25 min.
Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until set.

Variation: Stir ½ C shredded cheddar cheese into mashed potatoes (enough to serve 4) and spoon over meat. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake covered 20 minutes more.

I told Kelly that if she likes this simple casserole, she will probably also enjoy the two “Easy Pie” recipes found on the back of the Bisquick box. One is cheeseburger, one is chicken, and are both simple and delicious!

 

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