Easy Shepard's Pie

Mmmm...Shepard's pie...I haven't had Shepard's pie in a loooong time, so I decided tonight would be a great night to make it since I got home a little early. This is one of those classic recipes that you generally need to call your mother for, as you can only remember kind of what's in it. Well...I did that and in typical mom fashion I got "oh, you use a little of this, a little of that, a splash of this...taste it and see how you like it." My mom, while a fantastic cook, has the habit of not measuring anything...which I can understand to a point. But really, I once needed to know how to make cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and the advice I received was "add sage until you smell it." Really? I never knew 'smell' was a form of measuring...but apparently it is. Funny thing about that is...it worked! hahaha...and it turned out great. So while I used my mom's 'some of this, some of that' tactic, I also measured it out a little at a time so I could get an accurate recipe. I can ensure that someone would be able to recreate a dish using actual measurements, especially if they aren't as, um...creative (sure, we can use that word) in the kitchen as my mom.

Easy Shepard's Pie

10 golden potatoes
Sour cream, butter (or the like), & milk (or milk substitute) - to make your mashed potatoes
1/2 T oil
1 pkg Quorn Beef Style Grounds (I like Quorn because it's soy free and mighty tasty)
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 T each basil & oregano
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 t Whatsthishere sauce (also known as Worcestershire sauce)
1/2 t each garlic & onion powder
Handful of cheddar cheese

1) Start by boiling water and preheating oven to 350º. Quarter potatoes and throw in boiling water. In the meantime put oil in pan and heat it up. Throw in Quorn and start to heat, add basil & oregano and mix. Then add tomato sauce and mix. Let that mixture heat through then add Worcestershire, garlic & onion powder, and mixed veggies. Let that simmer.


2) While 'beef' mix is simmering, check your potatoes as they should be done by now. (If they're easy to pierce with a fork, you're good to go). Drain water from the potatoes and add sour cream, buttery spread, and I used almond milk to make your mashed potatoes. I won't give you exact measurements because it's all to taste (ha, I sound like my mom now huh?) Set aside

3) Grease a 9x13 pan, add 'beef' mixture and layer potatoes on top. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese is all melty.

TA DA! Shepard's Pie...

Looks good right? And deliciously meat free

On a side note: I really like most of Quorn's products. Their 'Naked Chik'n Cutlet', 'Chik'n Tenders', 'Chik'n Nuggets', 'Meatless Meatballs', and 'Beef Style Grounds' are all delicious and taste surprisingly close to the real thing. I actually prefer their taste to Boca or Morningstar. They also have a 'Turk'y Roast' that I want to try but can't find. I think it would be great for Thanksgiving.