by Laura Garrow

Created on: September 10, 2007

Easy Shepherd's Pie...

Yes! Shepherd's pie can be easy, quick, and delicious. Don't let the time get in your way of having a traditional family meal. Yields 6 to 8 servings

8 Minutes Preparation
10 Minutes Cook Time
(Alternative 10 Minute Quick Recipe below)

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

You'll need:

1 Box of Hungry Jack/Potato Buds(Use directions for preparation with water, milk and butter-substitute milk for cream and margarine for real butter-real butter and light cream work the best!)

2 Cans or jars of Beef Gravy
2 cans of Green Giant Sweet Kernel Whole Corn
2lbs of 90% to 95% lean ground beef
1 small yellow onion finely chopped.
1/4 Teaspoon Onion Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Large Saute pan
1 Large boiling pan
1 9" X 13" glass baking dish

Begin by boiling the water, butter and cream for the potato buds.

Start to brown the hamburger adding the chopped onions, and minced garlic. Using a plastic spatula or large straining spoon (plastic), work to get the meat as broken up as possible. As the beef browns, add the onion salt and garlic powder. Keep stirring the meat, browning the onions and garlic as well.

Reserve the juices from the hamburger and add the gravy to the hamburger mixture. Heat until boiling and the gravy mixture begins to thicken.

Line the bottom of the glass baking dish with corn. Pour the hamburger/gravy mix on top of the corn.

Mix up the potato buds with a wire mixer, or whip with a beater on low until well blended.

Scoop the potatoes onto the hamburger mixture, carefully so the gravy doesn't splatter. When all of the potatoes have been used, top with 8 small pats of butter. Place the butter pats on each serving.

Place the glass dish on a cookie sheet.

Set the Shepherd's Pie into the oven, bake for 10 minutes. The pats of butter should be melted, and there should be very little browning on the uneven parts of the potatoes. (The parts of the potatoes that were not lying flat should be browned a little-not too much.)

For best results, serve with a large spatula scoring out 8 servings before cutting out the pieces.

*If you want a really quick 10 minute meal, don't bake the Shepherd's Pie. Cook the hamburger, gravy, onions and potato buds as directed above.

Put the two cans of corn into a microwave safe dish and heat for 2:30 minutes, stirring halfway though cook time.

Get out 6 to 8 plates and line them up on the table or counter. (This makes it really quick and easy.

Put the corn on the dishes first, then the potatoes, then top the potatoes and corn with the hamburger gravy mixture.

Learn more about this author, Laura Garrow.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.