My first bite of Shepherd's Pie was about ten years ago at an Irish Pub in New York City (and served by a red-haired, blue-eyed Irish woman with a thick accent too!). It is about as comforting as comfort food gets. I won't claim that my recipe is anywhere near as good as that one was, but it's still a favorite in our house in the winter months, especially on St. Patty's Day!
Shepherd's Pie
- 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 10 oz package frozen peas and carrots
- 2 cups brown gravy (homemade, or from a jar or mix)
- 3-4 cups prepared mashed potatoes (homemade or instant)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Drain grease. Stir in peas and carrots and gravy and cook another 2-3 minutes. Spoon beef mixture into a glass casserole dish. Top with prepared potatoes. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper, then bake 20 minutes at 350° F or until hot.
When making homemade mashed potatoes, I use fat-free sour cream instead of milk for a creamier texture. For the truly ambitious, you can pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the beef mixture for an attractive presentation. I've never been that ambitious, and my family eats it up too quickly to notice anyway.
