Good Eats

This has been the winter of the casserole. I didn't eat a lot of casseroles growing up, and I'm hard pressed to remember ever actually cooking one before. But something about them has just been so appealing for the past couple of months. Warm meat and cheese and carbs and veggies all in one dish. Amazing. I've tried several recipes, and thrown together random ingredients and leftovers. I'm kind of obsessed. 

The one recipe I keep coming back to is shepherd's pie from The Baby Bistro Cookbook. This is a fairly ridiculous book that is a little too sanctimonious for me, but it has great recipes. 

Ingredients:
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 cup frozen thawed mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, etc.)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

*Note: I use instant potatoes because it's easier so I skip a few steps, and I've used bison before. So good. Also I never measure cheese. I just shredd it until I have enough to cover it.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375*F.

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue boiling for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. 

While the potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet, cook the ground beef or lamb over medium-high heat, crumbling it with a spoon. Spoon off and discard any excess fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the tomato sauce and remove from the heat.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Add the milk to the potatoes and mash until smooth. Spoon the meat mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. (I used a pie plate.) Top with the frozen vegetables. Cover with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on top.

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until heated through and the potatoes are just slightly browned.