A Shepherd's Feast

It's not really a pie and I have no idea how shepherds play in, but I do know that if done correctly Shepherd's Pie can be a very tasty meal. There are several different recipes in my ward cookbooks, many of which resemble the elementary school cafeteria goodness of yesteryear. Unfortunately, they all call for tomato soup, which can often contain gluten. Now, if you can find a gluten-free can of soup, you must either have better luck or more patience than I. After looking through several varieties of soup, it has become pretty clear to me that soup-makers must rely on flour as their thickener more often than not. It's cheap and effective. I can't imagine why they'd use it. So for me, it has just been easier to throw out the potential soupy offender and revamp the recipe for my own tastes and my wife's sensitivities. Hope you like it. Warning: I never claimed it was healthy, just tasty.

Shepherd's Pie

Filling:

1 lb hamburger

1 onion (diced)

1 clove garlic (diced)

2 tbs butter

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 can diced tomatoes (partially-drained; if you like yours with more tomato kick leave more juice)

1 can green beens (drained)

Melt butter in fry pan. Saute onions and garlic then add hamburger and brown. Add salt, pepper, tomatoes and green beans. Let simmer then remove from heat.

Potatoes:

8-10 potatoes (peeled and cubed)

2 cloves garlic (diced)

6 tbs butter

1/3 cup sour cream

salt to taste

Boil potatoes and garlic until potatoes are just past fork tender (when the corners of the cubes start to round they are perfect) Drain potatoes. Add butter and sour cream. Beat the potatoes furiously until they submit to your will. These are just some mashed potatoes folks. I'm sure you can make them happen. If they are a little thick add some milk.

The Pie:

Pour the filling into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread potatoes on top and bake for 25 minutes at 350. You should start to see the potatoes brown a just a little. Remove from the oven, sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese across the top and return to the oven for about 5 minutes. When the cheese has melted remove from the oven.

You will be tempted to eat this pie directly from the oven, but make sure to let it cool just a bit before serving or you will likely learn a hard lesson like my two-year old did. Good luck.