Shepherd's Pie

Given a copious amount of ground beef and some cold weather, a girl needs to think quick to make use of the situation. There are only has so many options for a filling, cozy, easy, tasty dinner. Shepherd's Pie is one of my go-to recipes for such an occasion. It even gets bonus points because it tastes awesome as leftovers and freezes well. It's not so much a recipe as it is a process. You can adjust amounts to your hearts desire, to fit your serving dish, or to fit your appetite or palate. Here's what to do:

Chop up an onion, two carrots and throw in some frozen peas and corn. Sweat all that in a frying pan until the onions are translucent. Then take add some salt and pepper, some chili flakes and whatever other seasonings you want really. This time around I added turmeric and some parsley.

Take your ground beef (or a mix of beef and/or pork and/or turkey works well too) and cook it with the veggies until the meat is browned.

You will also need boiled potatoes, either leftover or newly made. Mash up the potatoes with some butter and milk until they're creamy. Then it's time to assemble. Take a pan like a casserole dish or a lasagna pan and spread the meat mixture on the bottom.

Then spread the potatoes on top. You cover all that with a bit of shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven about 15 mins (everything is cooked already) and then broil for about 10 more until the top of the pie is golden.Voila! You have a hearty and delsih meal that will feed many and keep for a while. The above technique is my way of doing it but please experiment with your own variations. A layer of corn is a great thing - as is more cheese. More cheese is always good!