No recipe Shepard's Pie

Yesterday I volunteered to play a game new to me, with my middle son.
He opened the box and poured out all of the pieces and began to set up the game.
I asked "Where are the instructions?"
He shrugged his cute little shoulders and said "I dunno, we don't need them...I know how to play and I will teach you."
I imagine that learning a new game from a 9 year old is for some, like making a new dish (that you have never tasted before) without a recipe.
It is a constant guessing game of...
...did I miss something,
... could I have done that in a different order for a better outcome,
...why does this rule apply now but not then?

I was so very intensely frustrated yesterday, learning by failure how to play this new game.
I hated the feeling.
I hated thinking...if only I knew the rules, I could do this right!

My point here is this...Wanting to create a dish but not knowing the "rules" can be a frustrating thing. Failing because of lack of knowledge can make one not want to play again.

I don't want you to feel this way about creating something in the kitchen and that is why I have chosen not to write about things without exact measurements for you.
I don't mind cooking this way.
I enjoy the challenge of creating something out of nothing and having it taste the way I imagine it would be.

Have you ever seen Ratatouille?
That cartoon about the mouse who wants to be a chef.


That is me!
Well, besides that I am 6ft. tall and don't have gray fur...we are just alike!!
I love the scene where he is jumping across the pot throwing in seasonings until it is just right.
I totally identify with that silly mouse!!!

Alrighty then, I said all of that to say...
I am going to attempt tell you how I make Shepard's Pie for the benefit of my Sister in Law who requested it. (I figured if I was gonna take the time to type it out, I may as well share with more than one person!!) I will try to word it in such a way that it is manageable to accomplish.
If you make it however and don't feel like it was as great as you wanted it to be...do not despair. Play another round and try again.
When I want to try something new, I usually google the recipe. I read way too many recipes to find the common denominators in them and then tweak it to suit my tastes.
I then scribble a bunch of notes down and head to the kitchen, ready for a challenge!
Oh and also...I grew up cooking for 6 people and now for 5 with hopes of leftovers for hubby's lunches, so I pretty much don't make anything that will feed less than that!

So here we go!
Don't worry, you don't need the exact instructions. I know how to play and I will teach you!!

I am gonna give you a simple no hassle version that you can change up as your kitchen skills progress.

Shepard's Pie for beginners!
*Finely chop one small onion and 2 cloves of garlic
* Saute over medium heat in your favorite oil until clear.
(See how generous I am...putting onion there in the recipe so you will know where it goes!! I don't even buy onions, let alone cook with them. I am opposed to the taste, in case you haven't caught onto that by reading yet.)
*Add 1 lb. lean ground beef, cooking and stirring until the beef is well browned.

In the meantime...
Let's create basic mashed potatoes, which will serve as the lid on your meat sauce.
*Chop 4-6 potatoes into consistently sized pieces. (This is important, you want them to cook at the same rate.)
*Put them in salted water to boil.
*When they are fork tender, drain them, add a bit of butter (uhhhh maybe 3T),
milk (not too much at first, careful...soupy potatoes are blech!),
salt and pepper and mash them to your favorite mashed tater consistency.
I like 'em smooth and thick, with lots of pepper!

Now back to your meat...
*Drain off the excess fat
*Add about 2T. flour (Wondra Flour is best here because it is fine and light.)
Stir this about, cooking the flour gently for a couple of minutes. This is going to help thicken your cooking liquid later.

I personally like a tomato based sauce so this is where I choose to put in a can of tomato sauce, or tomato puree, or petite diced tomatoes, depending on what I happen to have in the cabinet. The 10 to 12 ounce can is what I mean. You could choose however to put in a few Tablespoons of tomato paste and a cup or so of beef broth if you like it less red. Or for that matter a few squirts of ketchup, a dash of Worcestershire and some beef broth would do. This is a point where I have to leave it to you to come up with what you like best with the options I can throw out there for you. But for the sake of beginners trying this for the first time and that what this recipe is all about, lets just say...
*add one can of tomato sauce, stirring to incorporate into the meat mixture.

This is going to thicken a bit because of that flour we added earlier.
*Now is the time to season to taste. Obvious choices are salt and pepper.
If you are feeling a bit creative then add in a pinch or two of thyme, maybe a bit more garlic, and parsley flakes are some to consider.
I remember when I first got married I had salt, pepper, garlic, and celery seed to season with.
Oh, and this...

...I grew up in Louisiana, don't know how to make Gumbo without it!

Here is my next ingredient suggestion, for ease of use. No Salt added Veg-all.


This comes in cans and in the freezer section. But we are talking easy here so go with the no salt added canned version. This is simply chopped veggies (no onions).
As you get farther along in your journey you may choose to work in frozen vegetables or even fresh. Some days easiest is best, in that case go for the veg-all.

*Add 2 cans Veg-all to the meat mixture and stir to coat the veggies with the sauce.
When this is heated through, taste again to check the seasoning.
Add more spices if needed at this time.

*Set your oven to 350*
Pour the meat mixture into a casserole pan something like this. A 9x13 is a bit too big for this but would do in a pinch, I just really like how it looks in an oval!! Call me crazy.
*Next take your prepared mashed potatoes and spread them in a nice even layer across the top of the meat mixture.
*Add a generous layer of shredded cheddar on top of the potatoes.

*Put this into the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until you see the liquid bubbling at the edges of the pan.
It may take 12 minutes, it make take 25. The goal is to get it hot all together and to have the cheese melty!
Serve this with a loaf of bread and a side salad.

Now, you realize this is gonna feed 6 people.
Or 2 people for 3 days, or 3 people for 2 days, or 4 people who are very, very, very hungry!
It is a lot of food, so invite someone over to eat!

Boy, oh boy, I sure hope this turns out good for someone!
I think if you taste it all along and find it yummy, then all yummy things combined together should make one big pan of yumminess...in theory right?!?

Good luck and happy cooking!!