comfort food: this ain't your granny's shepherd's pie.

It's my dad's.  It is nothing fancy, but it's warm and the flavors and textures are just right on a winter day.  It's one of the few things I remember my dad cooking and I always loved it.  I didn't have much in the cupboards or fridge last night, but I had what I needed to throw this together.  It was just as yummy as I remembered, so I thought I would share.

There are no veggies in this shepherd's pie. No gravy. And that's how we like it.  Three layers: cheese. mashed potatoes. sloppy joe meat (or something like it).

~Jack's Shepherd's Pie~

Preheat the oven to 350ish.  Make some instant mashed potatoes (or real ones, if you're crafty like that. But the point here is quick and easy on a weeknight, so whatevs...).

Start by browning a pound of ground beef or ground turkey in a large skillet. 

How do you make sloppy joes?  I just squirted some ketchup and barbeque sauce in the skillet.

And voila!

Spread the meat in a square baking dish.  Preferably a cute blue one like mine.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture.

Dump a bunch (or about a cup) of shredded cheese on top and spread it to the edges of the dish.  I prefer sharp cheddar but I had colby & monterey jack on hand so that's what we used.

Put it in the oven and start the timer for 15 minutes. 

Hint:  It improves efficiency in the kitchen if you can find a couple of helpers to get things out of drawers for you and hold on to your legs while you walk back and forth.

When that timer goes off, I like to leave the oven door cracked and turn up the heat to broil until the cheese starts turning brown and getting a little crunchy. 

Not as brown as I'd like it, but when you have hungry mouths to feed, you have to make sacrifices! 

The verdict?

It's in his mouth (this equals success) AND he {almost} cleaned his plate.  Yummy.

If you try it, let me know what you think.  Jack would be proud.

~C~