Phew! Shepherd’s Pie

Yes, today felt like a Monday!  The day started off pretty slowly… We tromped through the trudges of school and family life and finished around 5 p.m.  I took a breather.  Then at 5:30, as my baby awoke crying and I was about to start cooking dinner, I kept hearing my husband’s voice:

“Lisa, if it is 5:30, the house is crazy, and you haven’t started dinner, call me and tell me to pick up dinner”.

I couldn’t resolve to that, though – not today -  not after ordering out a few times over the past handful of days for various reasons.  No, at 5:30 today, I wanted to make the best of the plethora of groceries in my home, of our money, and of our health.

I asked the kids if they could help and watch the baby.  I felt bad; they had just started playing dodgeball in the basement.  They didn’t really want to help, so I walked up the stairs with a “What am I going to do now?” sort of feeling.  I stopped in the kitchen and prayerfully thought for a moment.  That’s it… Back down the stairs I went… “Okay, guys.  I’m sorry that you just started this game right now, but I need you.  I need you to watch the baby.  I’ve got to make dinner.  We need to be a family right now.”  They cleared the floor of any dangerous debris while I headed upstairs to scurry around the kitchen and make dinner. 

In the end, it was a success!  Together, we were able to manage fairly effectively, and I was able to get that homemade dinner on the table before Brian got home.  Phew! 

Photo taken before spreading the potato layer throughout.

Shepherd’s Pie

~a cozy dinner for a  cozy home~

Recipe found here.

My notes:

• Oftentimes I will use about 1.5 lbs. of meat.  Today I used 1 lb. of meat, and it worked well for us.  My husband did say he likes when there is more meat, mainly because it is so tasty.  ~smile~
• I add more ketchup, about 3 to 4 Tablespoons, and also add a bit of paprika to the meat mixture.
• For the mashed potatoes:
  Peel, cube, and cook eight white potatoes until they are soft enough to mash.  Drain.  Add 1/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 to 1/2 cup half and half.  Mash… then whip with a hand mixer.  Add salt and pepper.
• I spread the potatoes over the meat mixture in my cast iron and throw the pan into the oven.
• Enjoy!