One of my favorite dishes in the world is Shepherd's Pie. Unfortunately, Jeremy isn't fond of cream of mushroom soup, but I have managed to replace it with cream of celery soup successfully. (He grew up eating cream of mushroom soup on EVERYTHING, thanks to his grandmother. He just can't take it any more! :) )The best part about Shepherd's Pie, though, isn't eating it fresh out of the oven. It's always way too hot, and it falls apart. The best part is letting it cool, completely, before you even try to cut it. Then it holds together in an appropriate pie shape (okay, more like a loaf shape, because I make mine in a Pyrex loaf pan), and it is wonderful reheated.
So that's what I did last night. Broke out all of the pots and pans it takes to make this meal, cooked it, let it cool for a bit out of the oven, and then plopped it into the fridge, not to be cut till this morning. And now I've got lunch for the rest of the week, and dinner for tomorrow night (when we need something quick and easy). Hurrah! :)
My recipe is:
1 lb ground beef
2 packages (the entire box) of instant mashed potatoes (or approximately 8 servings, if you have a big box of potato flakes)
1 can of cream of SOMETHING soup (the original was with mushroom, now it's celery, though I was tempted to try cream of chicken this time)
1/2 to 3/4 of a can of mixed peas and carrots (if you can find the short can, that's the right amount, otherwise just guess)
shredded cheese (I use something cheddar-y, but any cheese will do, really)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Don't drain the grease from it.
Cook the potatoes as directed on the box. You want thicker potatoes, so let them stand if you have to.
Mix the can of soup and veggies together, and DO NOT add the milk to the soup. You want it good and thick.
Then layer in a loaf pan (from bottom to top):
potatoes
meat
soup
potatoes
meat
soup
potatoes
cheese
Put the loaf pan in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the grease is bubbling, and the cheese on the top starts to brown. Yeah, the grease bubbling part is kind of gross, but it helps to hold this meal together.
This makes about 6 servings for me, but I cut my slices pretty thick, so you could probably get 8 servings out of it if you are more moderate with your slicing.
This meal is extra tasty when it's cold outside, but I like it year round! :)
Pyrex Crazy Daisy Bread Loaf Baking Ovenware from Good Pickins
2 comments:
Grew up eating this.. made mostly with leftovers... have not had it in a long time... might have to cook some up..... no pictures of it before you eat it all? :)
I am bad about remembering to take pictures of things I cook. At this point, the only picture I could take is of my present lunch or my lunch for tomorrow. :) The rest is GONE. :)
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