Shepherd's Pie Shortcut Recipe Is What to Feed a Hungry Family (8 Ingredients) by Ann Marie G. Halstead

Your family will come willingly to the dinner table when you serve this easy shortcut Shepherd's pie casserole recipe. What is shepherd's pie? Google the origins of shepherd's pie and you'll get all kinds of results. Some say the dish originated in Ireland in the 1700s. Some say the dish originated in Scotland and then became popular in Northern England and Ireland. One thing that is agreed on: it's a dish using leftovers so people didn't have to waste food. We're not sure who's right or wrong (or just confused), but we do know shepherd's pie is a hearty, filling, budget dinner families all over enjoy.

Shepherd's pie, sometimes called cottage pie, is traditionally made with lamb, but many now make the recipe with ground beef and even ground turkey. This shepherd's pie can be made with ground lamb, ground beef or ground turkey, but it takes even more liberties to make it a quick weeknight dinner for busy families. The recipe is also made with onion, butter, milk, instant butter-flavored potatoes (shortcut), brown gravy mixes (second shortcut) and whole kernel corn.

The high-protein shepherd's pie starts on the stovetop where you brown your ground meat of choice with some onion. The brown gravy and some water are added to create the meat layer. The instant mashed potatoes are also prepared on the stovetop. The ground meat/gravy mixture is put into a casserole dish and topped with the corn and then mashed potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes and dinner is done.

Serve this shortcut shepherd's pie casserole recipe with a salad. 

Cuisine: Irish / Scottish 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 to 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water (divided)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces butter-flavored instant mashed potatoes
• 2 pounds ground lamb, ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 174 ounces (2 .87-ounce packets) brown gravy mixes
• 15 ounces (1 can) whole kernel corn, drained

Here's how to make it: 

1. Bring the 3 cups of water, 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil in a saucepot. Once boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the package of instant mashed potatoes. Set aside. (If using instant mashed potatoes is just a big no-no for you, make your own homemade mashed potatoes and use those instead.)
2. Cook the ground meat and onion in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any fat. Add the gravy mixes and 1/2 cup of water to the ground meat. Stir well to combine. {If you're watching your sodium intake, use a low-sodium brown gravy mix.)
3. Pour the meat mixture into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with the corn. Spread the mashed potatoes over the corn. (If you're not a fan of corn, you could substitute peas, green beans, carrots or a combination.)
4. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until mashed potatoes start to lightly brown. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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