Easy One Pot Meal: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s pie takes me back to a restaurant I worked at some time ago. The chef made it for family meal on a weekly basis and I rememeber always looking forward to it because it was easy to scarf down in the middle of a busy night. The concept of “family meal” it’s basically a free staff meal. One of the *many* *PERKS* (sense my sarcasm) of working in food and beverage.

Everything is chopped finely, it’s delicious and filling, and like I said- easy to eat. Nothing like a one-pot meal for someone with eating complications.

This recipe can be made as simply or as complicated as you choose. Chopping vegetables and making mashed potatoes takes the most time, but you can minimize that by using pre-chopped, bagged veggies and by using prepped mashed potatoes. This also makes for the perfect opportunity to minimize waste and use whatever you have in your fridge that’s nearing its expiration date.

Ingredients/Shopping List:

• Olive Oil

• Ground beef or turkey - Optional if you're vegetarian. Like most of my recipes, this can be made without meat.

• Mashed potatoes

• Your choice of veggies. I used:

• onions

• garlic

• peas

• mushrooms

• carrots

• Beef bouillon or broth - I love the "Better Than Bouillon" line of products. They have veg-friendly products as well.

• Tomato paste (ideally) or marinara (use whatever tomato product you’ve got)

• Seasonings:

• salt

• pepper

• granulated garlic

• thyme

• bay leaves

• paprika

Recipe tips:

• Brown the meat in small batches

• Cook the veggies and meat separately, then return everything to the pan once the meat is browned

• Adding red wine to the “broth” will add a depth of flavor

• Many people add flour to thicken the “gravy”

• Feel free to top the dish with cheese prior to broiling it

Watch the video here: