Shepherd’s Pie YOUR Way

Shepherd’s Pie is made of 4 major ingredients:  meat, vegetables, mashed potatoes, seasonings.  There are probably at least a million recipes, but before you make yours, think about what you REALLY LIKE and make it that way!

Today, I used some leftover prepared Manwich (made with lean ground beef), a can of cut green beans (drained & rinsed), a can of black beans (drained & rinsed), 4 cups of mashed potatoes & 1-2 cups of shredded cheese.  You can layer the ingredients any way you want—today, the meat was the bottom layer, next some shredded Co-Jack cheese, then the green beans & black beans, top with the fluffy mashed potatoes & more cheese.

The Manwich was already cooked and pre-seasoned.  I love the flavors and ease of preparation.  Sometimes the meat is just seasoned and NOT sauced (once again, YOUR preference).

Fresh, homemade mashed potatoes are optimal, but instant mashed potatoes work well too.  Because you pretty much get a taste of mashed potatoes in every bite, I add seasoning to my mashed potatoes (today, it was ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper & ¼ cup butter (of course, adjust to YOUR taste).  I baked it at 350F for about 30 minutes (until brown and bubbly).

It is delicious and will be around for at least 4 more meals.  What flavors do YOU LOVE that you want to try in your next Shepherd’s Pie?

Here are some of my ideas:

·         Taco-seasoned ground beef, crushed tortilla chips on top of mashed potatoes/cheese
·         Add some extra onion when browning the ground beef (or turkey) and add crunchy fried onions on top of the mashed potatoes/cheese.
·         Use pan-fried ground sausage, frozen mixed vegetables, sausage gravy (homemade or packaged) over the veggie/meat layer, mashed potatoes with sour cream to top it off.
·         Vary the cheese—use a mixture of shredded cheeses—cheddar, jack, mozzarella, Swiss, Feta, parmesan…
·         Be creative with the meat and veggies—try cubed/chopped (maybe leftover) turkey or cooked ground turkey with a layer of mashed sweet potatoes, then, a thinner (2-3 cups) than usual layer of mashed potatoes; serve with turkey gravy (and cranberry sauce) on the side.
·         How about shredded or cubed cooked chicken, diced green chiles, black beans (drained & rinsed), a layer of prepared refried beans, shredded cheese (your choice), 2-3 cups of mashed potatoes, more cheese.

What’s in YOUR Shepherd’s Pie?

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