When I first started this blog, I did a post for Divine Lemon Bars that was inspired by a poster made in 1911 by James Lee in Chicago, Illinois, which had the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments on it. At the same estate sale at which I bought the Lord’s Prayer poster, I also bought this James Lee poster with “The Lord Is My Shepherd” printed on it, from Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Though preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever
When I was young, I thought I might want to be a shepherd. It’s easy, I herd. Turns out I couldn’t get the staff (cue collective groan). But once I met a man dressed as a shepherd, who told me he was a spy. I asked him why he was dressed as a shepherd, and he told me it was because . . . wait for it . . . he was a shepherd spy.
I know what you’re thinking right about now, something like “get the flock out of here.” So without further punnery, I bring you this recipe, inspired by the Lord Is My Shepherd poster, for Shepherd’s Pie, a dish the whole family will enjoy. I think that because it’s made with ground beef it is technically, according to some sources, a cottage pie — the conventional wisdom being that shepherds are concerned with sheep, and therefore, shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. Other sources say that cottage pie and shepherd’s pie are synonymous terms. Don’t lose sleep over it. To prepare the mashed potatoes, I usually add a few garlic cloves to the boiling water, and mash them up along with the potatoes (a ricer works best for me), and add just enough butter and half and half to make them smooth and creamy (not gummy), then season with salt and pepper. You, of course, can make them any way you want — even instant mashed potatoes will work fine.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots*
- 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 beef bouillon cube**
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups seasoned mashed potatoes (from approximately 3 large potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- *Note: Can substitute 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables for corn and peas and carrots
- **Note: Can substitute ½ cup beef broth for bouillon and water
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until golden. Add beef and saute until lightly browned, breaking up with a spoon as necessary. Stir in frozen vegetables and mushrooms. Dissolve bouillon cube in water, add to corn starch mixture, then stir into beef along with Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken.
- Spoon beef mixture into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish (alternatively, can use 4 individual casserole dishes). Spread potatoes evenly over top. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes. If desired, broil for 2-3 minutes until potatoes are very lightly browned.
Preparing the filling
Mashed potatoes go on top
Spread them over the filling
Ready!
You too, can be a shepherd spy
too funny and delicious
OK, I must admit that I groaned a time our two, but with a big grin on my face. You always crack me up. If this carries any weight, in England if you order shepherd’s pie, you get lamb, so I was always stuck with cottage pie since I prefer beef. Love your recipe. It makes me realize that it has been far too long since I made one.
Thanks Cheri — I appreciate that you follow the blog! Glad to hear you enjoy it.
Yes, I deserve that groan!
You are so funny and I truly enjoy your blog. I literally laughed out loud. I’m now hungry for shepherd’s pie and plan on making this recipe soon.
Groooooaaaaannnn…. But I do adore a nice shepard spy 🙂