Shepherd's Pie with Loaded Mash

This should probably, more appropriately, be called “Everything but the Kitchen Sink Shepherd’s Pie.” It is one of those sloppy, “I don’t care what it looks like on the plate” casseroles. If you love corn, this has plenty of it. If you love loaded mashed potatoes, you got that, too. This casserole has so many layers of flavor, who cares what it looks like when served? I call this a “fun” meal. It’s fun to prepare and fun to eat! It’s one of those “let your imagination run wild meals.” And, that’s exactly what I was thinking when I came up with this recipe. This is a thoroughly modern take on an old-fashioned comfort food classic. Despite the number of ingredients, this is really quick and easy to prepare, because you can multi-task (a phrase we are all too familiar with nowadays), or use shortcut ingredients, which I will suggest later in this post. And, you can always leave out the ingredients that don’t suit you. Anything goes!

Here goes the first shortcut, if you don’t have the time or energy to deal with making your own mashed potatoes, buy 2 bags of frozen steamed. Unless you are cutting the recipe in half, you will need 2 bags, or you will be scrimping on the loaded topping. 

Peel potatoes and dice. Chop onion and garlic (or use jarred minced garlic) for ground beef mixture.Add potatoes and 1 or 2 whole, peeled cloves of garlic to large pot of water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

In the meantime, in large skillet, combine ground beef, onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Brown beef, stirring occasionally and breaking up larger pieces. When beef is evenly browned, and the liquid has burned off, stir in 1 can cream of mushroom soup and mix thoroughly. I add the soup because I am thinking of the leftovers. Ground beef that has been cooked on the stove top then baked, tends to dry out; which means it’s especially dry by the time you get to the leftovers. Of course, this addition is optional. If you prefer your meat drier then leave it out.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spray a 10x15x2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread meat mixture evenly over bottom of baking dish. 

Spread a can of creamed corn evenly over meat mixture. Now spread a can of well-drained kernel corn (or equivalent amount of frozen kernels) over the creamed corn.

In colander, drain cooked potatoes with garlic cloves. 

Transfer to large bowl (including garlic). (I always mash my potatoes right in the same pot I cooked them in; easier clean-up.) Add butter, seasonings and egg. Yes, add an egg. This adds a nice texture to potatoes and keeps potatoes from “spreading” in the oven. (I even add an egg to baked stuffed potatoes.) Gradually, add some milk (not all of it). Beat well. Add additional milk, as necessary, until the potatoes are creamy. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to potatoes and mix well to combine. Note: You can adapt the seasonings to suit your personal taste.

Evenly spread mashed potatoes over meat and corn mixture in baking dish, spreading out to edges (and touching edges to seal).

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Meanwhile, remove seeds and pulp from tomato (again, recommended for the leftovers, to keep the potato topping dry the next day). Chop tomato. Thinly slice green onions.

Cook bacon (or substitute store-bought bacon bits). When cool, crumble bacon. 

Remove casserole from oven. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Return to oven for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven. Top potatoes with diced tomato, green onions, and bacon.

 Serve while hot.

SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH LOADED MASH
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

Mashed Potato Topping:

• 8 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 to 2 (peeled, whole) cloves  garlic
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (add more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided  

Shepherd's Pie Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef (90% or above)
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can whole sweet corn (well drained), or about 1 cup frozen or fresh corn
• 1 can cream style corn

Loaded Topping Ingredients:

• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
• 4 or 5 green onions, thinly sliced
• 8 to 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

  
DIRECTIONS:
1. Add potatoes and 1 or 2 whole, peeled cloves of garlic to large pot of water. Bring to a rolling boil and
    cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, or potatoes are fork tender.
2. In the meantime, in large skillet combine ground beef, onions and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Brown
    beef, stirring occasionally and breaking up larger pieces. When beef is evenly browned, stir in 1 can
    cream of mushroom soup and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Spray a 10x15x2-inCH baking dish with cooking spray. Spread meat mixture evenly over bottom of
    baking dish. Spread can of creamed corn evenly over meat mixture. Now spread canned or frozen
    whole kernel corn over that.
5. Drain cooked potatoes (with garlic cloves). Transfer to large bowl (including garlic). Add butter,
    seasonings and egg. Add some of the milk. Using hand mixer, beat well, adding more milk (as
    necessary) until potatoes are creamy. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to potatoes and mix well
    to combine.
6. Evenly spread mashed potatoes over meat and corn mixture in baking dish, spreading out to edges
    (touching edges to seal).
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over top of
    potatoes and return to oven for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
8. Remove casserole from oven. Top potatoes with chopped tomato, green onions and crumbled bacon.
    Serve while hot.

Tips:

You can prepare this casserole ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake. You will need to allow additional baking time if you refrigerate first.
If you are pressed for time, you can substitute two 24-oz bags of frozen Steam & Mash potatoes.

Turkey Pot Pie

Before your leftover turkey starts dwindling, I thought now would be a good time to share my recipe for Turkey Pot Pie. When we freeze our leftover turkey, we usually divide the meat into smaller portion-sized packages, about 1-1/2 cups each. So I took out a package of white meat and another package of dark meat. What I love most about this recipe is everything is cooked before it goes into the crust, so total baking time is only 35 minutes, just long enough to get the crust golden brown and keep the filling warm. Cooked turkey, celery, peas, carrots, onions, and potatoes, in a seasoned creamy sauce, then baked in a flaky pastry. This is an easy, no-fuss recipe using ingredients you probably already have on-hand. If you don’t have any leftover turkey, try substituting a rotisserie chicken. This classic savory dish will have your kitchen smelling like Thanksgiving all over again.

I use Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts for this recipe, but you can substitute any 2-crust pastry. If using Pillsbury®, defrost and bring to room temperature according to package directions. I also find that the pastry shells are a bit too small for the larger deep dish pie plates, so I gently roll out the shell a little larger, allowing me enough room to make a fluted edge. 

Fold the pastry shell in half, then unfold when placing in the pie dish. Set aside. (I usually put in refrigerator until needed.)

Chop onions, celery and potatoes. Dice turkey.

Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C).

In large, deep skillet (or Dutch oven), melt 3 Tablespoons butter, over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. 

Stir in the chicken stock (or broth). Increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a boil.

Stir in potatoes. Reduce temperature to medium-high. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, but still slightly firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 Tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour (to make a roux). Gradually, add the milk, stirring constantly. I used slightly over 3/4 cup of milk, not the whole 1 cup. You want to keep it on the thick side, as you will be adding this to the broth mixture as a thickener. Add cream of chicken soup, peas and carrots, and turkey. Stir well to combine. Cook just until heated through.

Stir the turkey mixture into the potato and broth mixture. 

Cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. 

Pour cooled mixture into prepared, unbaked pie shell. 

Roll out top crust, so it’s a little larger than pie dish. Fold the pastry shell in half, then unfold over the top of the filling. Flute edges. Make 4 or 5 slits in the top crust (to let out steam. Brush top crust (and fluted edges) with beaten egg white. 

Refrigerate finished pie for 20 minutes. This step is important, otherwise the fluted edges will wilt when baking. The pie crust needs to be cool, in order to hold its shape.

After 20 minutes, remove pie from refrigerator. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover crust edges, with aluminum foil (or pie crust cover), so it doesn’t burn. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F (175° C), and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. 

 

Cool 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. (Mike was too hungry to wait, so my pie wasn’t cool enough when I cut it, as you can see in finished pics. It was still incredibly yummy, though….just not as photo-worthy as I would of liked.)

TURKEY POT PIE

Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box (14.1 ounces) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
• 6 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small onion, minced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary                                        
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2-1/2 to 3 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 to 1 cup milk (add to desired consistency)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup

               

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch pie pan,

    and set aside.

2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, thyme,

    rosemary, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the chicken broth.

    Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high, stir in the potatoes, cover, and

    cook until tender but still firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour (to make a roux).

    Add the milk.  Add more milk if necessary to thin.  Add cream of chicken soup, then add turkey and

    peas. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Cool slightly, then

    pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges,

    and make 4 or 5 slits in the top crust to let out steam.  Brush top crust with beaten egg white.

    Refrigerate finished pie for 20 minutes before baking (so fluted edges don't wilt in the oven).

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cover crust edges with aluminum foil (or pie crust cover),

    so edges don't burn. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking

    for 20 minutes, or until rest of crust is golden brown.

5. Cool 15 to 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Servings: 8

Yield: One Deep Dish 10- inch pie