Shepherd's Pie

The Story:
One of my very first jobs was working in a restaurant called Pippin's Pie Pantry. My favorite thing to eat there was a Shepherd's Pie. It was also very popular with the customers. The dish consisted of very flavorful ground beef in a pie shell smothered in mashed potatoes and topped with brown gravy. The prep cooks came in very early in the morning to make the pies and then cooked them fresh each day. The restaurant changed names to Tippin's and with that came a new menu and no more Shepherd's Pie.

Through lots of trial and error and many recipes, I finally figured out how to recreate the Sherpherd's Pie that I remember at 15. I have been making it for my family all of their lives. It is a very simple recipe that is kid friendly. It also freezes well and the recipe is easy to double. I often double the recipe so that we eat one and freeze one.

The Ingredients:
1 Medium White Onion Diced
1 Small Pkg Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
2 T. Butter
1 t. Minced Fresh Garlic
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 Pkg Liption Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
Lawry's Season Salt
2 Eggs
2 C. Grated Sharp Cheese
2 1/2 C. Mashed Potatoes
Paprika
Pepper
1 Deep Dish Pie Shell
1 C. Frozen Corn
1 Jars Heinz Homestyle Brown Gravy

The Preparation:
In a skillet, sautee the mushrooms, garlic and onions until the onions are clear. Remove from the pan and set aside. Brown ground beef, season with Lawry's to taste and drain the grease. Return the browned ground beef to the skillet. Add in the sauteed mushrooms and onions. Add the soup mix and 1 cup of water.Add in the corn. Cook on medium heat until there is very liquid left in the pan. The water should cook down and make a gravy like consistency. Transfer the meat mixture to the uncooked pie crust.

In a small bowl beat two eggs very well. Pour evenly across the pie. I usually use my hands to evenly distribute the eggs.

Next add the cheese. It may not take the full two cups. I usually just add enough cheese to cover the top of the pie.

Next spread on the mashed potatoes. I usually choose to make Shepherd's Pie when I have left over mashed potatoes to spend. Sometimes, I make instant potatoes, but most of the time I buy the Country Crock ready made mashed potatoes in the refigerator section at Walmart. One container costs about $2.50 and is exactly the right amount of potatoes.

Sprinkle paprika and pepper over the top and place on a cookie sheet to catch the drips. Bake at 350 degrees until the potatoes begin to turn golden, approximately 1 hour.

The Serving:
Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve smothered in brown gravy. This pie is very filling so watch your portions when serving. A little goes a long way.

This recipe is an old faithful favorite that gets my husband's rating of 7.5 and the famous thumbs up!