Shepherd's Pie

Mmmm delicious shepherd's pie. I remember eating - and loving - this when I was really little, but then my family never ate it again until the night before I left for college. A month or so ago, I decided I would try my hand at making it. I looked at a bunch of recipes online, then came up with my own.

Ingredients
3 cups mashed potatoes (make sure they are flavorful, as if you would serve them alone. I actually use a bit more milk and butter than normal to make them extra creamy)
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4ish garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped (optional)
1-2 tsp sage (I used ground because I didn't have fresh)
Salt, Pepper, and Chachere's/Seasoned Salt to taste
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tbsp flour
1 can sweet peas (use fresh if you want, I just don't have any)
1/4 - 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used 1/4 cup sharp cheddar because it was ALL that I had)
You can also add carrots if you want, but make sure they're cooked and soft before you add them..

Prepare the mashed potatoes. I used about 4 big potatoes and had a bit too much after I mashed them and all, but who am I to say no to extra potatoes?

Brown the ground beef. Add the onions and garlic, until the onions are soft. Add the rosemary and sage. Salt, pepper, and add Chachere's to taste. If you want to use carrots, you can add them at this point. As Alice Water advises, taste at every step. No portion of the dish should not be seasoned to taste good on its own. Let the seasoned meat mixture cook for a minute or two. While it simmers, mix the tbsp of flour into the 1/2 cup of broth to create a gravy of sorts. Add this to the meat mixture, and let it simmer for another minute or two. Make sure this is tasty before spooning it into a baking dish.


Make sure the meat is evenly distributed across the dish.


Drain most of the liquid out of the peas before adding them; if you don't, your meat will be too runny.


Sprinkle the cheese on top..Like I said, I only had a 1/4 cup of cheddar, but you could try many different types of cheese. I advise adding more than this - Hubby loves cheese - but then not all people love cheese like we do.


Now, spoon the mashed potatoes on top. You might not be able to easily spread them; don't worry if some cheese or peas get mixed up with the potatoes. Make peaks on the top - they'll brown and be delicious. Bake on 350F for about 25 minutes, or until warm and some peaks have become a nice golden shade.


I could have let it bake a little longer, but we were both hungry and the green beans were finished. As everything is already cooked, there's no worry of things not... well ... being cooked. It's just a matter of warming it all up together and getting a nice top layer to the potatoes.


And this is the final result; it might not be pretty, but it's pretty damn delicious.


A gratuitous photo of the green beans. I boiled them with Chachere's and 3 strips of bacon for about 25 minutes. YUM.