shepherd's pie

Vegetarian shepherd's pie was one of the first entrees that I cooked on my own without a recipe. "Real" shepherd's pie was a delightful specialty of mine...one of the few times you would see me at a stove, working on multiple burners, making a rather big mess of dishes, but it was totally worth it in the end. Which was always interesting in retrospect, because i didn't even make the mashed potatoes from scratch or the gravy or any of it really. It was almost all from cans or boxes, but somehow I worked magic when it came out and was delicious.

I first tried vegetarian versions very simply--no crust, a can of mixed vegetables, whatever gravy i could find without yeast in it, and mashed potatoes on top. very simple (and I daresay even Rachel on Friends could get this version correct). I hadn't made it in awhile but the other night, I was staring at the cabinets trying to figure out what I could eat that would be good. And filling. And healthy.

I had herb flavored mashed potatoes and enough butter and milk to make that. Always have a can of mixed vegetables. And indeed, I had black pepper gravy mix. Instead of going sans crust, I pulled up a recipe for a pie crust made from Bisquick cause y'all know I always have some of that on hand. Things started to get iffy there because the particular recipe i pulled up required 4 tablespoons of butter and I was running short. but there was enough.

And while it wasn't too different from any version I'd made in the past, it was those little adjustments in flavor that made it quite the delicious dish. The crust was deliciously buttery (probably Paula Deen buttery, but I'm not worried about the state of my arteries), the black pepper gravy just spicy enough, and the herbs in the potatoes made it smell great and also added their own spice.

I was a little awed by how simple it was to make this dish go from bland to special. How many times had I made it before with regular potatoes and not realized the potential from a few spices? And the crust! just the right touch of flavor amongst all the others. That is the joy of a good shepherd's pie.

(as a side note, google does not like amongst as a word. hmph.)

So I was thinking for my non-vegetarian friends--I would have never thought to try a black pepper or even sausage gravy with a regular beef shepherd's pie, but it could have potential. Try it!