Shepherd’s Pie- sort of
The night before last we had Spinach and Ginger Fried Rice along with some leftover Roasted Carrot Soup for dinner so last night I decided we (well, I) needed a little extra protein. Bob never remembered to take chicken out of the freezer in the garage and all we have in the kitchen freezer is ground beef. I know this recipe is completely inauthentic, but rather than make my standby hamburgers, meatloaf, meatballs or sloppy Joes I figured I’d give Shepherd’s Pie a shot. I’ve only ever made and eaten it with vegetarian meat substitutes, never meat, so last night’s attempt was a first. It turned out pretty good and I got it on the table in under an hour.
My Inauthentic Shepherd’s Pie
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef or lamb ( you can use turkey or meat substitute, but you’ll probably need to adjust the seasonings)
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, quartered (I used 2 baking potatoes)
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup stock or broth (beef stock preferably, but I used chicken)
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
Couple of handfuls of frozen peas
11 oz can corn, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash with butter then milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Cook onion, carrot and celery until softened, about five minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned, stirring frequently to break up the meat, about five to ten minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the flour and cook about a minute more, Add the stock, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until absorbed, about five minutes.
Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Top with corn and peas. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat and vegetables. Cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are browned.
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