Shepherd's Pie

This happens to be one of my favorite meals in the world.  I also love to make it because I use leftovers to make it.  It makes a great re-make as the flavors are all their own and not just reheated from last night's dinner. 

In this case, we had leftover mashed potatoes from a family dinner we had. Mashed potatoes are definitely one of those items that I use for cook once, eat twice. I think they are a lot of work and if I can get away with only making them once, I am going to do it. 

To start, brown 1 lb or ground beef in a skillet. I put in some white onions because I had them, but if you don't - then don't worry about it.  Get your meat nice and brown - if you used a higher fat content, when your meat is brown, drain the grease off your meat. 

I then added a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Just get them starting to heat through and add your sauces and seasonings. 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

This is not only going to flavor your Shepherd's Pie, but it is going to give it that nice "meatloaf" layer so it doesn't all fall apart when you scoop it out. 

 Once your veggies are warm and your sauces mixed in, spread the meat mixture into a 9x13 pan that has been lightly sprayed with your favorite cooking spray.

 Next comes your beautiful potato layer. Since mine were cold from the fridge, I warmed the up in the microwave so they would spread better and also so they wouldn't take so long to heat in the oven.

Then I topped the potatoes with a layer of sliced cheese, you can use shredded cheese if you would like, or if it is more to your taste, you can put nice little peaks on your potatoes so they turn a golden crunchy brown and not put cheese on the top at all. 

 Place on a lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

And look at how gorgeous to it turns out. A meat and potatoes lover little bit of heaven!

 Although this is one of my favorite foods the kids just love it too. And I love that it is so full of veggies. You can sneak in as many as you want or try different kinds. We used the frozen mixed veggies, but you could use just peas and carrots if that is what your family prefers. I used to make it way back in the day with just green beans.