Easy Shepherd's Pie

[EmmaCat]

1 pound lean ground beef, sausage, veal/beef mix, or anything run through the grinder

1/4 small onion, chopped (I like red, but any works)

Italian seasoning to taste

1 green, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped

1 package of instant mashed potatoes

Milk (for the potatoes)

1 can of creamed corn

1 can of beans or sweet peas

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Finely ground bread crumbs

Heat an electric oven to 375 degrees. Brown the meat, adding the onion, bell pepper and Italian seasoning to your tastes.

Boil the water for potatoes, fix as directions

Mix bread crumbs with cheese

Use a 2-quart crockery or glass casserole dish with a lid. Layer the meat on the bottom, next with the veggies, then top with finished mashed potatoes. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

Take off lid, add bread crumbs and cheese to top of potatoes. Bake until cheese is bubbling. This should be about 10 minutes.

Take dish out of the stove, replace the lid and let it sit for a few minutes

You can serve this with a fresh garden salad or whatever you like.

Enjoy!

All good things
Emmy

 

[TaylorSexton]

I am almost altogether convinced that the manna from heaven in Exodus was Shepherd's Pie.

 

[EmmaCat]

I am almost altogether convinced that the manna from heaven in Exodus was Shepherd's Pie.

That's almost what my mother said!

 

[TaylorSexton]

I remember being in England a few years ago for a school trip. My girlfriend (who is now my wife) and I ate at this cheap, hole-in-the-wall restaurant at the bottom of an inn in Southampton. We both got Shepherd's Pie. Oh, my...

 

[EmmaCat]

I remember being in England a few years ago for a school trip. My girlfriend (who is now my wife) and I ate at this cheap, hole-in-the-wall restaurant at the bottom of an inn in Southampton. We both got Shepherd's Pie. Oh, my...

Is it better and maybe different over there? Do they use different ingredients?

I have to feed a 6'4 cop, ha!! I could use some suggestions!

 

[~Anastasia~]

Ah, I love shepherd's pie. My mother used to make it.

I never tried mixing bread crumbs with the cheese though. I'll have to try that next time.

 

[Anhelyna]

Oh dear

Emmy - you have given a recipe for Cottage Pie and a very yummy one too by the looks of it.

Shepherd's Pie is made purely from Lamb [ think about it - Shepherds watching their flock of sheep ] I was taught this as a 7 year old living in Yorkshire.

Adding any other sort of meat [ beef , veal , pork etc ] makes it Cottage pie.

Either Shepherds or Cottage pie make a good hot comforting simple meal on cold days. Traditionally it was made from the left over meat from Sunday's Roast joint on Monday, as all you had to do was put the cold roast meat through the grinder , mix it with a little hot meat stock or gravy and add some very finely chopped root vegetable [ carrots, parsnips ? ] , pop it in a dish , cover with mashed potato [ do not smooth that down , leave it with a few peaks sticking up ] dot it with some butter and pop in the oven to heat up and get the top of the potato nice and crispy and brown.

Each area of the UK has it's own variation on this theme - but Shepherd's Pie has to be made with lamb

Anhelyna - born and brought up in the UK and still living there

 

[~Anastasia~]

Oh dear

Emmy - you have given a recipe for Cottage Pie and a very yummy one too by the looks of it.

Shepherd's Pie is made purely from Lamb [ think about it - Shepherds watching their flock of sheep ] I was taught this as a 7 year old living in Yorkshire.

Adding any other sort of meat [ beef , veal , pork etc ] makes it Cottage pie.

Either Shepherds or Cottage pie make a good hot comforting simple meal on cold days. Traditionally it was made from the left over meat from Sunday's Roast joint on Monday, as all you had to do was put the cold roast meat through the grinder , mix it with a little hot meat stock or gravy and add some very finely chopped root vegetable [ carrots, parsnips ? ] , pop it in a dish , cover with mashed potato [ do not smooth that down , leave it with a few peaks sticking up ] dot it with some butter and pop in the oven to heat up and get the top of the potato nice and crispy and brown.

Each area of the UK has it's own variation on this theme - but Shepherd's Pie has to be made with lamb

Anhelyna - born and brought up in the UK and still living there

Thank you for that explanation! My mother always called it "Humble pie" btw, but everyone else seemed to call it "Shepherds pie". I actually wondered about shepherds using beef ...

 

[Anhelyna]

It was a very common thing to make on Mondays

Traditionally the family would have a roast joint on Sunday and then make cottage pie /shepherds pie on Monday.

Monday was the day that most women did their laundry - either in the Public Washhouse or their own kitchen - lots of steam etc and laundry was real hard work - no machines but lots of elbow grease needed and doing the whole weeks laundry was a long job. The men [ either workers in heavy industry/coal mines or labourers in the fields etc ] would come from work - tired and dirty and would want a hot meal put down in front of them very very quickly - and Cottage pie/shepherds pie was easily and quickly prepared.