Shepherd's Pie

More about-to-move food. This was actually really good. I’ll probably make it again when we get settled in our new house. I looked in my fridge and found a few carrots, then in my freezer I have a ton of frozen peas. I didn’t really have anything to go with those two things, unless I just did some grilled chicken or something…which is possible. But I wanted something different. I was looking online to see what I could find, and I ran across several recipes for shepherd’s pie. It’s the perfect get-rid-of-the-stuff-in-your-fridge meal. You can kinda use whatever you have, which is ideal when you’re about to move, but still want something tasty. So I decided to give it a try.

The main components in almost all the recipes I saw were ground beef, some veggies of some sort, a creamy base for the “sauce,” and mashed potatoes on top. The different ingredients varied a bit from recipe to recipe, but that was the basic outline. So…I made up my own version. I think it turned out well, so I hope you like it to. Have fun! This made enough for about 4 people.

Ingredients:
-1 lb ground beef
-3-4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
-1/2 cup frozen peas
-2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
-1/2 c heavy cream
-1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
-2 tablespoons flour
-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium high heat until no longer pink.

Remove the beef from the skillet, leaving the “grease” behind in the skillet.

I basically just scooped the beef out with a slotted spoon and left the grease behind. Return the skillet to the heat and reduce to medium. Whisk in the flour to make a roux.

Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add in the cream and whisk to incorporate. Let that cook for a couple minutes, stirring frequently. It will start to thicken a good bit. Add the milk and whisk to combine.

This will thin out the “sauce” a little, but it will thicken up a bit again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low. Continue stirring occasionally while everything comes together.

While the sauce is cooking, boil a small pot of water and a medium pot of water. Add the carrots and peas to the small one and cook until heated through and the carrots are slightly tender. Drain and set aside. In the medium pot, add the potatoes and cook until tender. Mash them with a little butter and milk and set aside.

Combine the beef, sauce, and veggies in a baking dish.

Stir to combine.

Top with the mashed potatoes

and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes have firmed up a bit and are slightly golden brown.

Serve immediately and enjoy!