Shepherd’s Pie is an English meat pie made with ground beef and mashed potatoes. My boyfriend and I lazed about on July 4th, enjoying a respite from the hustle and bustle of the week, instead of joining the hoards of people heading out for picnics and fireworks over the weekend. The day was spent reading, napping and listening to music.
As dinner time approached, I realized that we didn’t have much of a plan or much in the fridge for that matter. It was likely the grocery stores were going to be barren, having been subject to the barbecuing masses. My boyfriend was kind enough to suggest ordering Chinese, but I declined and instead welcomed the challenge of making a delicious dinner for us with whatever I could find in the fridge and pantry.
What I found was the following: 
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The onions, garlic and frozen veggies are usually a staple in my kitchen, but it was quite lucky that the beef and potato were shacking up there as well. Let me also say that I have never made Shepherd’s Pie before. But, it seemed like a fairly simple concept. So, this is what I did:
I preheated my oven to 400 degrees. Then I began sauteing 1/2 a small chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic in some olive oil over medium heat for about ten minutes until soft. Then I added about 1/4 cup each of the corn and peas, turning the heat up and adding some salt, pepper, and dash of cayenne. Once the veggies had defrosted, I added a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary and the ground beef. I’d say I had about 3/4 of a pound or so. I let the meat brown and combine with the other ingredients for about 1o minutes. At the end, I added 2 or 3 tablespoons of beef broth (just some bouillon I had in the pantry) combined with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to create a lovely gravy. Once the sauce thickened, I turned off the heat and set it aside.
Meanwhile, I had peeled a potato, cut it into cubes and boiled in salted water until tender. I made a quick potato mash with milk and butter. The ground beef mixture went into a casserole dish, then I topped it with the mashed potatoes, making sure to cover all the meat. Then I used a fork to create grooves and texture in the potatoes. I dotted the top with a few pats of butter and popped into the hot oven to bake for about 30-35 minutes. The result was a mouthwatering meal that involved very little cleanup, and a renewed faith in the creativity that blossoms as a result of laziness. I mean necessity.
Clacked by Pia Schiavo-Campo
on Jul 06, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
