leftover pie

flashback to 1994. i was 8 years old. my family was all about the one-pot meals. crock-pots, stews, casseroles, you name it. we were busy. my mom dragged us all over town and sometimes we needed something quick, easy, and would be great leftovers- just in case.

now fast forward to 2011. i'm 25. broke like it ain't no joke. living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and remember that 10 year old boy stuck in a 30 year ol' man's body? yeah. well he's still here and i'm cookin' for him tonight. so you best bet ima gonna cook somethin' C-H-E-A-P with REAL cheddar cheese. shepard's pie it is. "leftover pie" as i'll call it tonight. i had a lot of veggies in my fridge/freezer that needed to be used up, so i decide to spend $6 tonight on some meat and throw all those veggies in with it. i had leftover taters from the other night (see pork chop n' taters post) and threw them in the mix too. this is definitely a meal where i was trying to use things up leftover from the week--not trying to be on some "healthy kick". you can use whatever veggies you have or prefer. tonight i used: peas, corn, green beans, onion, red pepper, and carrots. so raid your fridge tonight and flashback to the early 90s. maybe crank some ace of base or TLC while you're at it!

whatcha need: (serves 4-6)

1lb. ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup beef stock

onion (diced)

carrots (sliced/chopped/whatever)

frozen peas (eyeball it.)

frozen corn (eyeball it.)

*and any other veggies you want to add*

mashed potatoes (rinse, peel, and cut into cubes 3-4 russet potatoes, boil in salted water for 10-15 min., drain & mash with butter and salt and pepper)

butter

salt and pepper

grated cheddar cheese (optional)

whatcha do:

preheat oven to 400. make mashed potatoes (see above recipe).

in large skillet, melt some butter (whose counting?) over medium heat. when melted, add onion and carrots. saute for about 3-5 minutes until soft. add meat. cook until most of it is no longer pink. add other veggies. cook until all meat is no longer pink. season with salt and pepper. add beef stock. simmer for about 8 minutes until slightly thickened.

get your casserole dish out--pile meat mixture in it. top with mashed potatoes. decorate with cheddar cheese. bake about 20 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

-andi