Shepherd's Pie

Growing up, my mom used to make Shepherd's Pie as one of her usual weekly rotation meals. She made it with ground beef, beef bullion, and served it over instant mashed potatoes. We loved it of course. My mom was not a big fan of cooking in the oven so everything was done on the stovetop. I on the other hand do like to use my oven (even when it's ridiculously hot outside), so I make mine in a slightly more traditional mash on top style.

Shepherd's Pie (Serve 4-6)

For mashed potatoes
4-5 medium potatoes (I used red skinned), boiled & mashed
1 t Chicken Better Than Bullion (told you I loved that stuff)
1/2 c water (I used the leftover potato water)
1/2 c rice milk
1-2 t olive oil
salt to taste

Mash potatoes and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Add additional rice milk til you reach your prefered texture of mash. Add salt to taste.

For meat and veggie filling
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
2T worcestershire sauce*
1 t Beef Better Than Bullion* (love that stuff!)
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
2-3t tapioca starch/cornstarch/AP flour
1/3 c water
1 c frozen/fresh mixed veggies (I used carrots & peas)
1/4 c shredded cheese (opt)

* I've recently found bottles of Lea & Perrin's that don't include hydrolized soy protien in the list of ingredients. Same with the Beef BTB. Always double check the labels though.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Brown ground beef and diced onion over medium heat until onion is translucent and meat is cooked.
3. Add in worcestershire, bullion, dijon, and onion & garlic powders. Sprinkle tapioca (or other thickener) over the top of the meat (be sure to sprinkle it around so it doesn't end up in a giant clump). Stir in.
4. Add water and veggies. Adjust amount of water/starch to create desired amount of gravy.
5. Add meat mixture into a 8x8 square casserole.
6. Evenly distribute mashed potatoes over the top and smooth with a spoon. Try and seal the top with the potatoes by pressing it firmly to the sides of the casserole.
7. Sprinkle top with cheese (if desired). I also added a sprinkle of paprika and a splash of worcestershire (my homage to English cheese on toast).
8. Bake for 30+ minutes until the bottom layer is bubbling.
9. Pass under the broiler for a couple minutes to brown the top.