Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's pie is one of my favorite comfort foods to make. That, and chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes, fettuccine alfredo, and pot roast. I really like comfort food. I blame it on being raised in Texas. Texans are all about comfort foods.

I especially crave this stuff when I'm pregnant. My first trimester is always the worst, though I really try not to give in to the desire {too much!} to eat such calorie-laden foods. But the other night, I couldn't resist. The Good Doctor took me out on a date to a really great restaurant that had all sorts of deliciousness on the menu. And what did I go for? The grilled buffalo burger with fries. I felt like I was ordering chicken tenders at a Mexican food restaurant. It was a little embarrassing, but boy was it good! The Good Doctor had an amazing coffee-chili rubbed pork chop with smoked gouda mashed potatoes and peach chutney, which is what I would normally have gone for.

Anyways, back to the Shepherd's Pie. That is what this post is all about, right?
My mom made this a lot growing up and I loved it. Before I give you the step-by-step, here's what you'll need.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1 Tbsp. worcestershire
1 tsp. beef bullion granules
2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. cold water
2 lbs. potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c. milk
2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

First, begin browning the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the meat is halfway browned {see below}, add the garlic, soup mix, worcestershire and beef bullion.

Stir occasionally until the meat is thoroughly cooked and browned.In a pyrex measuring cup or small bowl, mix the flour with the cold water. Whisk well to combine. Then add to the meat mixture and stir well to incorporate. Cook a couple more minutes until the sauce thickens.Remove the meat from the heat.

Use your favorite pie crust recipe and blind bake it. You don't have to do this but I prefer to blind bake my crust because it ensures a crispy, flaky crust. underneath all that meat. To bake the crust, place a layer of foil and some weights {I use ceramic pie weights} inside the shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
For the mashed potatoes, I use 2 pounds of potatoes. I mix my boiled potatoes with 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 cup milk, a few heaping spoonfuls of sour cream, and plenty of salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the pie, pour the meat mixture into the pie shell.Top with mashed potatoes.Place the pie on a cookie sheet and sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pie is heated through.
It's done. Enjoy!