make shepherds pie
With potatoes on top and ground meat, tomatoes, herbs and vegetables in the base, shepherd's pie is a filling and satisfying favorite in pubs throughout Britain. Traditional shepherd's pie contains ground lamb. Use ground beef instead for an inexpensive, crowd-pleasing meal. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Wash and halve the potatoes. Peel them if you wish, or leave the skins on for extra flavor. Place them in a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, on medium high heat until almost translucent.
3. Add the ground meat and cook until brown. Drain the excess oil through a sieve.
4. Return the meat to the pan and add the mushrooms and diced carrots. Cook until soft.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and herbs to taste. Stir together, then lower the heat to simmer.
6. Pierce a potato with a fork to check for doneness. When cooked, drain and return them to the pot.
7. Add milk, butter and a pinch of salt to the potatoes. Mash with a potato masher, adding more milk and butter to moisten as needed. If you wish to you can also add some grated cheese to the mashed potato.
8. Heat the oven to 325 F.
9. Pour the meat mixture into a deep ovenproof dish or casserole. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle some cheese across the potatoes, if you wish.
10. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
Tags: ground meat, milk butter, tomatoes herbs