Shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie, is one of the best comfort foods out there. Why? Because it’s both delicious and a snap to make. No, really – it’s pretty hard to mess up. Best eaten piping hot on a cold day, it’ll lift your mood in seconds. It’s also an excellent strategy to get your pesky kids to eat their vegetables.
My ingredients list might be a wee bit vague this time, mostly because I don’t usually measure things out, I just approximate them, so I do apologise for that. (Speaking of apologies, I’m also terribly sorry for the awful digital camera photo.) Anyway, here’s how to do it,
Ingredients:
- 1 package ground beef or lamb
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 potatoes
- 1 cup mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots…)
- 2 cloves garlic
- Onions
- Ketchup
- Cheese (shredded or singles)
- Butter, milk
- Olive oil
- Pepper, salt, sugar, thyme or oregano
To Make Shepherd’s Pie:
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF.
- Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil until tender, then add butter and milk to your preference and mash.
- While the potatoes are boiling, you can boil your vegetables as well. It’s fastest to use packaged frozen vegetables, but you can also chop up some fresh vegetables, if you prefer.
- Dice the tomatoes. Submerge the tomatoes in olive oil (you probably won’t need more than 1/4 cup). Add one clove of minced garlic, then mix in pepper, salt, sugar, and thyme or oregano (or any other herbs/spices of your choice) to taste. Stir well, mashing the tomatoes slightly with a spoon. Let the tomato mixture sit for a few minutes for all the flavours to mingle.
- Cook the onions in a saucepan with a wee bit of oil until they become semi-translucent. The amount of onion depends on, well…your personal preference. Add garlic and continue to cook. Make sure the heat isn’t too high, or the onions will burn very quickly.
- Add the meat. Mix it well with the onion and garlic, until it browns
- Pour the tomato mixture into the pan and mix well with the meat, onion, and garlic. Add ketchup to taste.
- Grease a baking pan or casserole dish. Line the bottom with a thin layer of mashed potatoes. Then, pour in the meat mixture on top. Add a layer of vegetables, and then spread mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Finally, sprinkle your preferred amount (and type) of cheese over the top. Shredded cheese is obviously the easiest choice, but “singles” torn into strips and lain over the top works, too.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese has started to become bubbly and has browned slightly.
- It’s ready to eat! Enjoy it while it’s hot!
I’m curious to see how the recipe will work out for you all, so if you try it, please let me know! And again, I’m sorry about all the vague directions and ingredients list.
♫ Song of the Day: Lover of the Light by Mumford and Sons
The Tragedy of Errors. 