For this recipe, I took two recipes and combined them. I wanted something simple, quick and tasteful that would be warm and savoring to come home after the kids bowling practice.
A traditional shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb. I used ground beef, since it was what was in my freezer.
I also cheated a bit, for the gravy; I used a jar Heinz beef gravy. I made instant mashed potatoes. You could cheat there too and use pre-packaged ones, for me it was a cost over convenience.
When I made the mashed potatoes, after pouring in the milk, I added a handful of finely grated cheddar cheese and half a sleeve of crush Ritz crackers. Again, you can use breadcrumbs, I used what I had on hand.
I did not add in any spices besides garlic and dried Rosemary. I was worried about how salty the dish would come out using the canned soup and gravy. My family thought it was missing something and added salt. They said it was missing… I thought it was fine. You could add a 2 tablespoons of red wine (if you have it on hand) to increase the flavor a bit.
1 lbs lean ground beef or lamb
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (I used PicSweet Brand 12-16-ounce bag of frozen carrots, peas, corn and green beans)
Half of a small onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons of dried rosemary
2 cups hot cooked mashed potatoes
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed
1 cup of Kraft Cheddar Cheese, finely grated
1 10 ounce can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
1 12ounce jar of Heinz Beef Gravy
Optional 2 Tablespoons of red wine
Directions:
Brown ground meat, drain
In crock-pot on low heat, combine meat, vegetables, soup, gravy, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of garlic. Wine if you chose
Mix ½ cup of cheese, remaining rosemary and garlic with half of the crushed crackers into the mashed potatoes.
Pour and spread potatoes evenly on top of meat mixture.
Top with remaining cheese, cover cook for 4-6 hours.
