Just what I was waiting for..

One last cold weather hurrah... perfect weather for the Sheppard's pie I have been waiting to make.

I LOVE the Share program for getting great deals on quality groceries, but since the packages are decided for you, it means I occasionally get a food that H is just not going to eat...
Or at least not "as is".

Enter the frozen meatloaf... Neither one of us is a huge fan of the idea of a loaf of meat, but it came with a great package otherwise, so there it sits in my freezer.

But well-seasoned ground beef will be perfect in a sheppard's pie, imo.

Tonight is the night, it is all cold and drizzly outside... perfect for toasty comfort food...

We like thick filling, so I always start with a base of beef stock, a generous pour of whatever red wine is sitting around (nothing sweet in our house!) with chopped up veggies (fresh, frozen, canned - whatever I have just goes in the pot - longer if fresh, or at the very end if canned) a little garlic, some marjoram, generous amount of fresh pepper and a bay leaf for that earthy, hearty quality - I let it all kind of come together for a bit over lower heat, then kick up the heat and thicken with good old corn starch (it is easy and idiot-proof.. perfect for busy nights)... browned ground beef goes in and it all gets spread in a casserole below a layer of mashed potatoes..
I always sprinkle paprika over the potatoes before I bake it - I know it doesn't do anything to the flavor, but I am a sucker for tradition! I bake mine until the potatoes are stiff and like to broil for a couple of minutes to turn the top brown...

(If I get too lazy it might go from sheppard's pie to good old Girl Scout campfire stew.. same execution as sheppard's pie filling, but I get to skip making the potatoes - maybe cut one up and toss it in a the begining to cook through)


Uber- quick substitution for the filling - use a can of veggie beef soup and mix the ground beef into that before spreading into a casserole and topping with potatoes...


Buh-bye tricky-meal meatloaf...