Brenda is a graduate of the Mississippi University for Women with a bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and a minor in Food Art.

It's traditional (for the most part).

I live with an Irish-Scotsman. One day, he asked me if I knew how to make shepherd's pie. I told him "sure" and made it for dinner that night. I got a lesson in proper shepherd's pie making that night after I served him my version and used what I learned to refine my own recipe.

My recipe is mostly traditional. Lamb is hard to find here, so I use beef and top my pie with sharp cheddar. The number-one thing you need to know is that you'll need to use firm potatoes to hold up to the meat and gravy.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup cut corn
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/4 cup green beans
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup red wine, optional
• 1 cup sharp chedder
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Brown your ground beef with your onions and garlic. Add your seasonings into the beef fat so the seasonings can bloom.
3. When the meat is done browning, add the flour and mix until it evenly coats the beef. Then slowly stir in your beef stock. This will make your gravy.
4. Once the gravy is set to your desired thickness, add everything except the mashed potatoes and cheese. Let simmer.
5. Coat your casserole dish with something non-stick and pour your meat and veggie mixture in. Gently layer your mashed potatoes on top. Don't push too hard.
6. Lastly, top with cheese and bake it for 20 minutes.

© 2017 Brenda Fly