Culinary Travel: Ghostly Shepherd's Pie

Treat your little ghosts and goblins to a tummy-warming stew that looks them right in the eye! In early cook books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top. The term "shepherd's pie" did not appear until 1877, and since then it is sometimes used synonymously with "cottage pie", regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or mutton. Outside the United States, the term "shepherd's pie" is used when the meat is lamb.

Ingredients

1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef 

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup) 

1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables 

1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained 

1 jar (12 oz) beef gravy 

2 2/3 cups water 

1/4 cup butter or margarine 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

2/3 cup milk 

2 cups Betty Crocker™ Potato Buds™ mashed potatoes (dry) 

Directions

Heat oven to 375° Fahrenheit In 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Set 12 peas (from frozen vegetables) aside for garnish. Add remaining frozen vegetables, tomatoes and gravy to beef mixture. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
    
Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat water, butter and garlic powder to boiling. Remove from heat; add milk. Stir in dry potatoes; blend well.
    
Spoon beef mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) or oval (2 1/2-quart) glass baking dish. With large spoon, make 6 mounds of potato mixture on top of beef mixture to look like ghosts. Place 2 reserved peas on each mound to look like eyes. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is hot. 

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6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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