MommyTLC

Last night I had every intention of making delicious braised short ribs over mashed potatoes when I realized that I forgot to buy the celery I needed for the mirepoix (onions, carrots & celery) for the short ribs.  Although I could have still made it, it just wouldn't have been the same.  So I put my short ribs back the in fridge to use another night and thought about what else I could make.  It's funny how even with a fully stocked refrigerator, I still find myself standing there unsure of what to make.  I was tired of the usual ground beef dishes I usually go for like meatballs and lasagna, and I had exhausted my taste for chicken with roasted chicken and asparagus the night before and a chicken and bleu cheese salad for lunch.  I wanted something different, something I hadn't had in a long time.  Then it hit me!  I remembered a conversation my hubby and I had a few weeks back about how he wanted to make some of the old recipes his mom used to make all the time like cabbage and corned beef, BLT's, and his favorite Shepard's pie.


Shepard's pie wasn't really my favorite dish when we were dating, mostly because of my aversion to onions, but since I had overcome my onion-phobia I thought it was time to give Shepard's pie another chance.  For those of you that aren't familiar with Shepard's pie, it's traditionally an English dish made from lamb or mutton (sheep), vegetables and toped with mashed potatoes.  There are many different variations of Shepard's pie out there, and they're all delicious in their own way.  I got my recipe from the best source I knew, my mother-in-law, with a few tintsy tweaks of my own:

Simply Delicious Shepard's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1onion chopped
• 2 cups mixed canned vegetables - fully cooked and drained
• 3 large potates (about 2-3 lbs)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (or 1/4 cup ketchup)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes)
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a sauce pan and saute chopped onions over medium heat until tender (about 10 minutes)
3. Add ground beef and saute until it's no longer pink.  Add beef broth, tomato paste, Worcesteshire suace and mixed vegetables and let simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Strain potatoes and mash, adding milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place beef mixture in a 13"x9" baking dish.
6. Spread mashed potato mixture over beef and place in 400 degree oven.  Let cook for about 40 minutes until mashed potato has a light brown coating on top.

Photo courtesy of MarvelousGirl.wordpress.com