Shepherd’s Pie

I began my cooking “career” in my mother’s kitchen, using leftovers to practice. And I’ve always believed it was wise to learn how to use leftovers in follow-up recipes, rather than throwing them out or feeding them to the family dog.

This recipe is one way that I use up both leftover meat and vegetables. Check out the video, then read the instructions below.

Ingredients:

Leftover beef (may substitute pork or lamb)
Onions
Carrots
Corn
Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Garlic
Salt
Thyme
Rosemary
Gravy

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pan. Saute garlic (about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat) for 1-2 minutes.

Add diced onions and carrots (about 1/2 cup each, per pound of meat) and saute until onions are transparent.

Add finely diced meat and saute for 4-5 minutes more, or until heated throughout.

NOTE: For the video, I used leftover steak, grilled tri-tip roast (from my favorite barbecue joint – House of Chicken and Ribs) and a small bit of roast pork loin. You can also use lamb, and none of the meat needs to be leftover. Also, many recipes use ground beef.)

Add salt, thyme and rosemary to taste. If you’re using leftover meat, only add a little, let it sink in for a few minutes, then adjust to taste, a little at a time, until you’re satisfied.

Add gravy to meat mixture. I used a prepared gravy for this recipe, but feel free to make your own. Add just enough (about 1/3-1/2 cup per pound of meat) to coat. The result should not be runny.

Lightly grease a casserole dish with olive oil, shortening or substitute.

Add meat mixture in an even layer. It should take up about half the height of the dish.

Add peas in even layer, then corn.

Prepare mashed potatoes, either from scratch or following package directions. I used instant potatoes for this recipe. Do NOT smooth the top; leave it rough so you get a better look after it browns.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned on top.

Sprinkle top with shredded cheese of your choice (I used 4 cheese blend. Don’t put too much or you’ll cover that nice browning. Return to oven for approximately 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes to set. This makes it easier to serve.

Using cake knife or other knife, loosen sides from casserole, and cut into individual portions. Serve to plates.

Drizzle a little gravy across the center, but don’t cover the entire portion. You can add more gravy around the edges if desired.

Sprinkle a little cheese on each portion and a touch of pepper, if desired.

And that’s it! You’ve just served a completely balanced meal that tastes great while clearing out your fridge and/or freezer. And while there may be a few steps to this recipe, none of them is difficult, and it doesn’t take all that much time to prepare.

Experiment with this recipe a few times, using what you have on hand, and you’ll quickly learn how to adjust it to your own taste. Once you’ve perfected it, come back and leave a comment to tell me how you do it!

Until next time, remember…

Play with your food!

Lane

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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