..Shepherd’s Pie

My boyfriend had a few buddies in town for the Barcelona v Manchester United game this past weekend and we had a really fun time gallivanting around DC with them Saturday night after it ended.  We stumbled upon a place called “Dan’s Café” in Adams Morgan.  They serve alcohol in old school squeezey ketchup bottles.  You just tell them what kind of liquor you want and they fill it (I mean really FILL it) full of whatever alcohol you want.  You then just mix (or squirt) your own drinks all night which is extra fun!  Needless to say I woke up Sunday morning feeling a little sluggish, and in my experience, nothing cures a hangover better than comfort food. 

To me, shepherd’s pie is the definition of comfort food.  Warm cheesy mashed potatoes piled high over seasoned veggies and meat.  Just the smell of the onion, carrots, and peas sautéing on the stovetop makes me feel better instantaneously.  Curling up on the couch with Mike + Sunday night HBO + this meal = happiness.  I don’t follow an exact recipe but I have detailed how you can make your own below.  It’s really one of those recipes you can’t mess up.  It’s so easy and you won’t regret it.

Ingredients (Four Servings)

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

½ Onion (Chopped)

1 Can of Peas (I use no salt added because you end up seasoning it yourself)

2 Minced Garlic Cloves

1 Cup of Chopped Carrots (I use baby carrots because half the work is already done for you)

2 Large Russet Potatoes

½ Package of Cream Cheese

1 Package of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Egg

Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Season All

Heinz 57 Sauce (or any steak sauce, I like this one because it has some tomato flavor too)

For the top potato layer:

1.       Peel and cube potatoes, boil them until they are fork tender.  Strain and set in bowl. 

2.       Add a splash of milk, ½ cream cheese package, salt & pepper, one egg, then mix.  Add in a handful of shredded cheddar cheese while it’s still hot enough to melt throughout.  Set aside.

For the filling:

1.       Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, and carrots on medium heat until the onion becomes a bit translucent, and then add peas (you don’t need to add the peas right away because they are already tender out of the can). If you want you can add a ¼ cup chicken stock to the pan but it’s not a necessary step.

2.       When the carrots become a bit tender add the beef to veggie mixture and generously season with salt, pepper, and season all.  Just add a pinch of thyme (it is a very strong and fragrant herb so a little goes a long way).

3.       When the beef browns add the 57 sauce to the mixture.  Just pour in about ¼ of a cup and mix. 

Assemble:

Scoop meat and veggie mixture into a baking dish and pour potato mixture over it.   Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake on 350° until the cheddar is melted and bubbling.