Shepherd's Pie

I was in the mood for some comfort food, but since we had just eaten Mexican food on Sunday (let's face it, what Sunday don't we eat Mexican anymore?), I opted for my #2 comfort food of choice: potatoes. I think I've got some Irish blood in me somewhere, so we'll just say that's why it's comfort food for me. (My third choice would probably be bagels - and as much as I'd love to attribute that to my husband, the Bakery Market Manager for all the Panera Bread stores in Jacksonville, I developed my love and addiction to bagels a long time ago.) I digress. I had just bought a five pound bag of Yukon golds at the store and if you're anything like me, you know you have to dig in right away or before you know it you're throwing away a bag of stinky, juicy, rotten potatoes. I even had some freshly ground beef in the fridge, so Shepherd's Pie was my obvious choice.

This was not a meal I grew up eating, and I probably made it (and tried it) for the first time in college. I really can't remember how I made it the first time, but I can remember everything about the best Shepherd's Pie I ever had. The Cheesecake Factory.


Photo borrowed from another Blogger Site

Mushrooms. Peas. Carrots. Onions. Zucchini. Ground beef. Delicious gravy with Worcestershire sauce in it throughout. Amazing red mashed potatoes with Parmesan on top. When I ordered this for the first time I was there for dinner, so you know the portion was huge. (The above photo is the lunch-sized portion.) I remember being like halfway through the bowl of this delicious goodness and not being able to stop eating, even though I felt sick to my stomach. But it was so good. And SO worth the stomach ache.



So now back to my meal. After describing how good the Cheesecake can make a Shepherd's Pie, I'm a little embarrassed to show you the picture of mine. It never occurred to me (until now) to try to replicated their recipe. I'll have to do that sometime. Anyway, mine was pretty simple, and probably a good bit healthier. It came together in about 45 minutes, and baked for another 30, but it was good enough.


 Hopefully I can remember how I made it. In case you haven't noticed yet, most of the recipes I made are easy to throw together, so you really can't mess it up. I'm a big fan of the "little bit of this, little bit of that" cooking method.

1 pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (My husband isn't a fan of the cinnamon, but I think it adds a little warm Moroccan flair to it. And yes, I do realize that Shepherd's pie is in no way a Moroccan meal.)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup each corn kernels and peas (or any combination of your favorite vegetables up to 2 cups)

5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Peel and cube potatoes into even pieces. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Set pot on stove to boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Brown ground beef in saute pan, drain. Add Worcestershire sauce, paprika, cinnamon, and pepper flakes. Season with salt to taste.

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare baking dish (about 3qts.) with cooking spray. Add cooked meat to bottom of dish. Layer with corn and peas (if using frozen, make sure to cook vegetables before adding to dish).

Drain potatoes and smash with fork or potato masher. Add milk, sour cream, and cheddar cheese; mix to combine. Give it a taste. Sometimes if I feel like it's too stiff or needs a little more zip I'll add some ranch dressing. Drop large spoonfuls of prepared potatoes on top of vegetables in baking dish. Spread evenly and top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If needed, broil for a few minutes.