My Joy says shepards pie is made by topping hash with mashed potatos & butter and baking. The recipe for hash only asks for cooked meat. My Larousse Gastronomique doesn’t mention it at all.
Obviously, from the etymology, “proper” shepards pie should be made from lamb, its what shepards would traditionally cook up when far from civilisation. However, I think joy best reflects the spirit of the dish in that it’s meant to contain whatever you happen to have in the fridge at the time.
I make mine with cubed up chicken breast as the bottom layer, then cheese, some spices, corn, some of my homemade mashed potatoes (which are a sour cream and chives type mixture) and cheese on top. Colby Jack if possible. Mmmmmmm…
But I eat most anything.
Inspired by this thread I made my Mom’s version of “Shepard Pie” tonight for supper, although we’ve always called it hamburger and green bean casserole. Everybody in my family seems to love it except me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat it and it is a nostalgic dish but I just find it sort of weird and “meh”… I can take it or leave it.
It’s very easy to make-
Brown a pound of ground beef with a chopped onion and drain the rendered fat. Add a can of tomato soup (undiluted) and a can of green beans to the beef. Mix well and layer the bottom of a casserole dish with this mixture. Spread a top layer of mashed potatoes over the beef mixture and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. Serve.
That’s my family’s version FYI!
This sounds a lot like my Mom’s ‘ghoulash’… which is just ground beef, a can of peas and a can of undiluted tomato soup cooked throughly in a frying pan. I haven’t had it in years.
Sorry, but this reminded me of that Hungry Man commercial where the guy had “a watercress tea sandwich, with just a sprig of parsley.” 