Shepherd's Pie

So technically this isn't Shepherd's pie cause Shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb, this is actually Cottage Pie but the two names are often used interchangeably and my family have always called this Shepherd's pie. And, for some reason, it's always a weekend meal to me. I think my Mum must have made it on Saturday's a lot or something. I see lots of recipes on the internet that include tomato paste or sauce of some sort. These must be American recipes cause I have never heard of it being made with a tomato ingredient in England. I think Americans just tend to prefer food with a bit more flavor and that would do it. But I like making mine without!

I took a couple of pics of one I made recently. The bottom pic is of Willow's serving.

Shepherd's Pie

Brown about 1 lb ground beef in a dutch oven or skillet. Drain off the grease.

Add 1/2 - 1 chopped onion and fry a little more.

Add a stock cube and a little water (i use gravy granuals). Plus some frozen veggies, if desired.

Meanwhile boil up potatoes and make mashed potato (not too creamy).

When the ground beef and veggies are cooked, pour into a greased baking dish and allow to cool a little.

Spread mashed potato on top and fluff or score with a fork to make it look pretty on top.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 40 minutes or until beginning to bubble around the edges. I turn mine up to 400F about half way through sometimes.