2009_10_05-ShepherdsPie.jpgIt's been a little nippy in San Francisco recently, and I started craving one of my favorite comfort foods: shepherd's pie. Or cottage pie to you readers in Australia and the UK. This meat and vegetable pie with mashed potato crust is very humble and simple, but very economical, filling, and delicious.

Some notes about the filling. It's more traditional for shepherd's pie in the US to have a beef filling whereas the British and Australians are more likely to use lamb. You could also try ground turkey for a lower fat alternative, or your favorite soy crumbles if you are a vegetarian. You could use fresh vegetables, but I prefer to use frozen vegetables as it saves me the chopping and peeling time, and since I already have the ground beef and the vegetables in my freezer, that means I don't have to go out and shop for anything. Since it's just me and my boyfriend, I divide this recipe in three batches; two go in the freezer in my favorite Pyrex storage containers, and one is cooked and eaten right away. This way we aren't eating leftovers all week, as this recipe is family-sized.

For a switch-up, try adding some boiled rutabaga to your mashed potatoes, it's yummy.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lamb, or other protein of your choice
1 onion
2 1/2 cups chopped vegetables. I used Bird's Eye Ultimate Petite Mixed Vegetables, which is a mix of peas, corn, green beans, and carrots. Other good options are celery, mushrooms, parsnips, and pearl onions. I also added a can of mushroom stems & pieces.
6 russet potatoes
8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth (substitute vegetable broth if vegetarian)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and quarter the potatoes, then boil them in salted water. Dice the onion and saute it in 4 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet. When onions are translucent, add the rest of the vegetables and the meat. Don't overcook - remember, this will be going in the oven. When the meat is no longer pink, add salt and pepper to taste, then the Worcestershire and the broth. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. If it dries out, add more broth.

By now the potatoes should be tender. Remove them from heat, drain, and mash them with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the beef/vegetable mix on the bottom of a baking dish, and add mashed potatoes to the top. Don't smooth down the potatoes - give them an uneven texture so that the peaks brown during baking and give it a little crunch. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes before serving.

(Image: Kathryn Hill)