Shepherd's Pie

I'm finally posting again...and it's for shepherd's pie.  My teenage self would find that comical as I loathed Shepherds Pie growing up.  I like it more now (acquired taste?), and as a mom I also like that it recycles leftover mashed potatoes and is made with things I typically keep on hand.

This recipe and photo are from About.com and can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/lhgg4yb

Both the image and (most) of the text will be borrowed from there.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic

1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups refrigerated mashed potatoes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In heavy skillet cook ground beef and onion until beef is brown and onion is tender, stirring to break up meat, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Stir in vegetables and soup and cook until hot, about 4 minutes, then add marjoram and salt and pepper to taste.
Place in 9 inch pie plate. Spoon mashed potatoes over hot meat mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and pie is bubbling.

Shepherd's Pie

(Image from http://www.competitivecook.com/; recipe from Family Circle)

Serves: 6

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 13 mins

Microwave: 10 mins

Bake: 350 for 15 mins

Filling

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 pds meat

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

1 cup baby carrots, sliced

1 cup chicken/beef broth (depending on type of meat used)

2 tbs flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Topping

Mashed potatoes

2 tbs butter

2/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1) Heat oven to 350. For filling, heat oil in flame-proof casserole over med-high heat. Add meat and cook, stirring, 5 mins. Stir in onion, celery, and carrots. Cook 5 mins.

2) In a small bowl whisk broth, flour, salt & pepper. Pour into dish and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1-2 mins, until thickened. Stir in dill and peas; cook 1 more minute.

3) For topping, prepare potatoes. Carefully add in butter, milk, dill and salt. Mash until smooth. Dollop onto filling in the casserole dish, gently spread until filling is covered.

4) Bake at 350 for 15 mins until bubbly. Cool slightly before serving

Per serving (for chicken):

423 cals

18 g fat

5 g fiber

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Got this recipe from the Commissary coupon book of all places...

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients1 whole bulb garlic
2 2/3 cup chicken broth
5 large potatoes, cut into 1" pieces (~7.5 cups)
1 tbs chopped chives or green onions

Directions:
Cut off the top of the garlic bulb. Drizzle with 2 tbs broth. Wrap bulb in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for an hour or until its softened.

Place the broth and potatoes in a 3 qt saucepan and heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Drain, reserving the broth. Mash potatoes with 1.25 cups of the broth, 2-3 cloves of roasted garlic and chives. Add broth as necessary until desired consistency is reached.

Shepherds Pie

Photo from www.familycircle.com. Recipe adapted from Family Circle too.

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 13 mins

Bake: 350 for 15 mins

Filling

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 pds boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces (can also use ground beef)

1 med onion, chopped

2 pieces celery, diced

1 cup baby carrots, sliced

1 cup chicken broth (or beef, if using ground beef)

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)

1 cup frozen peas

Topping

Leftover mashed potatoes

1) Heat oven to 350. Cook meat over med-high heat in frying pan on stove top. Once meat is browned, stir in onion, celery and carrots. Cook 5 minutes.

2) In a small bowl, whisk broth, flour salt and pepper. Pour into pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1-2 mins, until thickened. Stir in dill and peas, cook 1 more minute.

3) Place mixture into the casserole dish. Dollop leftover potatoes on top and gently spread evenly.

4) Bake at 350 for 15 mins or until bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.

Per Serving:
423 cals

18 g fat

5 g fiber

160 mg cholesterol

915 mg sodium

Steak with Potato Salad and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Total Time: 30 mins

Serves 4

1 pd small red potatoes (about 12)

Kosher salt & black pepper

1/4 cup plus 1 TBSP olive oil

4 small steaks (i.e. Newport, flat iron or top round), 1.5 pounds total

2 TBSP white wine vinegar

1 small head Boston lettuce, torn (about 4 cups)

Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and add 2 tsp salt. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, ~15 mins. Drain. Run under cold water to cool. Using for or fingers, break potatoes in half.

Meanwhile, heat 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the steaks with 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper and cook until done to taste.

In a large bowl, combine the blue cheese, vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup of oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add lettuce and potatoes and toss to coat. Serve with steaks.