Tuesday, May 18, 2010

American Shepards Pie

Kevin loves Shepards Pie. He has hinted quite a number of times that I should try and make some for dinner but I never really got around to it. I finally managed to do so sometime last week and I guess it turned out pretty good. Oh just to clarify some things, when I say Shepards Pie, I am refering to the American style Shepards Pie. Unlike the traditional English style Shepards Pie (which is made out of lamb or mutton), the American style Shepards Pie is made out of beef and has a little tomato paste in the filling. I think the English would call what I am making today Cottage Pie. Shepards Pie, Cottage Pie...it doesn't really matter what it's called. The bottom line is, it's really simple to make and it's super yummy. That's all that matters :P So, let me share with you this really easy to make 'Shepards Pie' recipe.
Start off by browning about 1 lbs of minced beef. Once it's brown, drain and set aside.
Then, melt 1/2 a stick of butter in a large pan.
Once the butter is melted, throw in some chopped onions. I used one really large onion, so if the onions that you have is small, use two.
Next, throw in some frozen peas and carrots.
Mix the peas and carrots with the onions and then add in some sliced mushrooms.
Allow everything to cook for a bit. Once it's almost cooked, add in the minced beef that you browned earlier.
Mix the minced beef with the rest of the ingredients and add in some Worcestershire sauce. I can't really tell you how much to put in cos I just eyeballed it. Just enough to season it nicely will do.
Next goes in the tomato paste. I just used about half a small can of tomato paste. Mix everything together, allow it to cook for a little bit more and the filling's done!
Once it has cooled down for a bit, transfer the filling to a deep baking dish.
Now it's time to make some mashed potatoes. You can either make it from scratch or you can just make it out from the box. I was feeling lazy, so I made things simple for myself by using instant mashed potatoes out from a box. Just follow the instructions on the back of the box, it's really simple.
Then, add in some shredded cheese into the mashed potatoes. You do not have to add any cheese if you do not want to. The cheese just makes it extra cheesy and yummy!
Now, scoop the mashed potatoes and place it on top of the filling. Remember to rough up the potatoes with a fork. By doing so, it helps the peaks brown nicely in the oven.
Once you are done with the potatoes, it's ready to go into the oven. Just place it in a 400F oven for about 30-45 minutes. Once it start bubbling and the peaks are brown, you know that it's done! There you have it. A simple and really yummy American Shepards Pie recipe.

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