Shepherds Pie

As the title of this blog suggests, I am a pretty picky eater. I've been trying over the past few years to "learn" or acquire a taste for new and better-for-me foods if for no better reason than to promote better health. Most of the foods I dislike are fruits and vegetables, mainly because of texture.

My quest for trying new foods has been admittedly slow-going and I have only recently focused on vegetables. Spinach is delicious and very healthy, I regret not trying it much sooner. I've recently tried asparagus and will have to work a bit more on it.

I've found a few different ways to incorporate veggies into my diet and shepherds pie is my favorite way.

I start by browning about a pound of ground beef. A tasty trick is to cook the beef in leftover bacon grease.

In a square baking dish, add whatever veggies you want. I use frozen vegetables straight from the freezer -- this keeps them crisp rather than mushy. Layer them on top of the beef or mix them in if you'd like.

Next, a layer of mashed potatoes done up any way you'd like.

Top with cheese or add the cheese between the veggie and potato layers.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. It's that easy!

I made this dish quite a few times before I settled on something that I really liked. This is a big hit and is just as delicious as lunch the next day. I played around with mixing different things into the beef before layering: tomato paste, tomato sauce and beef gravy mix. The gravy mix was good but had MSG in it which made me feel sick. Eventually I settled on a beef-only style and it holds up just fine. Usually I won't drain it all the way as the fat and juices add flavor and keeps it from drying out. This isn't the healthiest option so consider draining the beef and adding a tablespoon or two of your favorite oil.

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef, chicken, turkey or pork.
• 1 to 2 packages frozen vegetables, any kind you like. I use corn and a pea/carrot mix.
• 3 or 4 large baking potatoes, skinned.
• 1 splash milk for mashed potatoes.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter for mashed potatoes.
• Spices and cheese to taste.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ground meat. Add salt, pepper, garlic and onion to taste. Drain partially or fully.
3. Peel, quarter then boil potatoes for 20 minutes.
4. Mash potatoes and set aside.
5. In a square baking dish, 9x9 or 8x8, layer meat, veggies, cheese and potatoes.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.