Shepherds Pie

This is another one of my husbands favorite dishes.  He's from New England and it's a favorite up there.  If you've never heard of Shepherds Pie, you're in for a real treat.  This is one of those comfort food meals that you will love to make on a cold winters day.

I love to whip this up after a meal where I have leftover mashed potatoes. If I don't use the mashed potatoes in a respectable dish like this, I'm likely to sit down with just a bowl of them and dig in.  Not as respectable.

Shepherds pie is derived from "cottage pie",  however cottage pie was typically made with beef and shepherds pie was usually made form lamb.  Because shepherds have sheep, see.  Originally a pie made of any meat and mashed potatoes was called "cottage pie".  That concludes your history lesson for today.

Shepherds Pie

From Alissamay's kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• olive oil
• 1 Tbsp A1 Sauce (or your favorite steak sauce)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 3-5 cups already prepared mashed potatoes
• shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. In a large skillet, add a little oil and then add the chopped carrots and onions.  Cook until they are beginning to soften. 
3. In a medium saucepan, add the frozen peas and corn and add water and then heat to boiling. 
4. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain. 
5. Add the A1 sauce and tomato sauce and stir until well combined.  Remove from the heat and pour the meat mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. 
6. Microwave the mashed potatoes until warm. Set aside. 
7. Drain the water from the peas and corn and add them to the top of the meat mixture. 
8. Use a spoon to dollop the prepared mashed potatoes onto the top of the peas and corn.  Use the spoon to press the potatoes into an even layer. 
9. Sprinkle the top with cheese if desired and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the shepherds pie is hot all the way through. If the cheese hasn't turned as golden as you'd like, broil it for about 5-10 minutes.  Keep a careful eye on it so it doesn't burn. 
10. Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers.