Shepherd's Pie with a Twist

 As most of you know by now, I am a fool for shepherd's pie of any variety. Whether a mashed potato topping, beef or pork or turkey, any type of vegetable, gravy or tomatoes, this is my comfort food. So after freezing diced tomatoes with their juice a couple of weeks ago - yes, I will include the recipe for that - I went "aha!" when looking through our admittedly sparse pickings right now. We obviously 'dug into it' because this is the remnants of dinner tonight. Here is my little tutorial on one pot (and a casserole) Shepherd's Pie.

Frozen Diced Tomatoes

1. Wash all tomatoes thoroughly. I just put cold water in a sterilized sink and let them soakdwhile I prepared for freezing, then wiped them with paper towel before the next step to ensure they were cleaned (these were garden tomatoes)
2. Place water in a large pot - fill about half-way - add tomatoes and bring to a slow boil. Make sure the water covers the tomatoes totally so they can blanch properly.
3. Sterilize sink or use a large bowl, place ice water inside and let sit.
4. When skins start to split, turn off element and remove tomatoes one at a time with slotted spoon. Place in ice bath that you have created. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Dice each tomato with a paring or other sharp knife, placing in container with juice. Do not fill to more than 1 inch from the top of the container and pop on the lid.
5. Place in freezer or if you prefer, simply use right away in your favorite recipe (or this one).

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• Potatoes 6 or 8 (enough for 2c of mashed potatoes)
• Diced tomatoes (1 1/2 c canned or as frozen above)
• Ground beef (approximately 1 lb)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Mixed vegetables of your choice
• Grated cheddar cheese (1 cup)
• Seasoning of your choice: salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, dry beef bouillion, a tbsp of ketchup, minced or chopped onions etc.

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook diced potatoes on medium heat in a saucepan with enough water to cover them and boil until tender when poked with a fork (approximately 20 minutes). Drain some of the water and mash the potatoes. You can add a splash of milk and a couple of tbsp of butter as well as 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt for flavor and texture.

2. Brown ground beef in oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat with chopped or minced onions, stirring until brown (about 5-10 min.). Every stove is different so it's best to stay while the meat is browning.

3. Drain the fat from the saucepan (I used a small colander to make it easier).

4. Add diced tomatoes, frozen mixed vegetables and your choice of seasoning to the meat and stir gently with a spoon until heated through and thick - 10-15 min.

5, Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes to cover the top of the casserole and sprinkle with grated cheese.

6. Bake in oven until the cheese is melted and the meat mixture begins to bubble and seep through the mashed potatoes. This will take approximately 30 minutes.

7. Let sit for 15 minutes with a piece of foil to cover the top to cool it slightly and enjoy! Great with a side salad or garlic toast. With any luck you will have left-overs for the next day.