My mother, Shirley, was a pie master. She could mix up crust for a double-crust pie in a matter of seconds. It was always the same recipe: 2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (sugar if she was making a sweet pie); 2/3 cup Crisco; and 3-4 tablespoons ice-cold water. Her’s was always perfect. Perfectly flavored, perfectly crimped, and perfectly browned. Mom didn’t make savory pies often, but this recipe was one of our favorites.
Three reasons why you should bake up this delicious ground beef pot pie and keep it in your recipe box:
This isn’t a store-bought frozen one heated up in the oven. It’s one you make and bake with all the love I know you put into every dish.
Shirley’s Ground Beef Pot Pie is quick and soooo easy to prepare and is inexpensive to make.
Everyone LOVES pot pies!
What makes this pot pie so easy?
Except for the browned ground beef, you can make this entirely with pre-made ingredients.
All pot pies need a crust. I like to buy pre-made pie crusts from the grocery because I lack my mother’s skill. I store them in the freezer until I want to make any sort of pie. Of course, you can make your own crust – good for you! But having pre-made ones at the ready is a real time-saver. I find boxes of double pre-made pie crusts in the grocery refrigerator section for $1.79 – that’s a pretty economical time-saver and perfect for savory or sweet pie applications. Or you might try building the crust out of phyllo sheets like this Chicken Pot Pie in Phyllo Crust.
For this pot pie recipe, I cubed fresh carrots and potatoes and completed the filling with frozen peas. But you can substitute frozen carrots and peas – you know the combo bags sold in grocery store freezer sections. And cubed frozen hash brown potatoes – another staple in my freezer. And for a real simple prep, you can use frozen chopped onions for those days you just don’t feel like chopping an onion. I periodically have those days.
I am not a big fan of canned vegetables. Frozen is the way to go for me if I’m not using fresh veggies.
Frozen vegetables taste fresher and maintain a crunch, although not as perfect as fresh vegetables but better than canned. I know canned vegetables are less expensive than frozen. Please consider this – when you drain off the canning fluid from canned vegetables, what are you left with? A 15oz can of vegetables yields less than a 12oz package of frozen vegetables. And then there’s the added salt in canned vegetables that I try to avoid at all costs for health reasons.
Add one Tablespoon olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Brown 1½ – 2 pounds of ground beef or ground turkey. Once the meat is browned, drain off the fat in a colander and set aside.
Return the skillet to the cooktop. Add one tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and diced carrots, stir, and quickly saute until the onions become translucent.
Add diced potatoes and minced garlic. Stir and cook for one minute. Add 3/4 cup of beef stock. Stir scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Put a lid on the skillet and steam the vegetables for 10 minutes.
While the veggies are steaming, it’s time to get the pie crust ready. If you’re using packaged, it’s just a matter of bringing the crusts to room temperature. Even though pre-made crusts are 9″ in diameter, I like to roll mine out to make them a bit larger and thinner. If you’ve decided to make your own crust, you should follow your recipe and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling. I’d make the crust before starting the recipe so your crust has time to rest.
Fit pie crust into a 9″ deep-dish pie pan. Return to the cooktop, remove the lid from the skillet, and add the cooked ground beef and frozen peas. Stir until combined and spoon the ground beef filling into the crust. Roll out a crust for the top and put it on top of the filling.
Next, crimp the edges to seal both crust layers and cut slits over the top crust. Mix one egg with one tablespoon water and whisk with a fork to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the top of the pie. At this point, you can sprinkle the top of your pie with flaky salt and/or coarsely ground black pepper.
Pop your pot pie into a pre-heated 425°F oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is flaky and nicely browned. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
While the pie is resting, you can whip together a quick and simple brown gravy to ladle over the hot pot pie slices.
In the same skillet you used to prepare the vegetables and over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Whisk until combined which forms a roux.
Add 2 cups of warmed beef broth. Whisk until combined.
Continue to cook and lightly whisk for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Check the seasoning – add salt and pepper if needed. You may want to add dried herbs to the sauce to kick the flavor up a notch.
And there you have it! A nice green salad or a bowl of fresh fruit would go well with your extremely flaky and delicious beef pot pie.
Please Note: There is no binder in the meat pie filling. Part of this is because adding more liquid to the filling can make the bottom crust soggy. I like the ground beef pot pie to be dryer with a flaky crust. That’s why I suggested making a side beef gravy. However, you might add one cup of shredded cheese just before spooning the filling into the pie crust. You can even make the pot pie Southwestern by adding a can of drained chopped chilies and shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the filling, too, served with a lovely salsa with shredded lettuce, sour cream and/or guacamole. It’s really up to you.
Yield: 6
Shirley's Ground Beef Pot Pie
My mother, Shirley, was a pie master. She could mix up crust for a double-crust pie in a matter of seconds. It was always the same recipe: 2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (sugar if she was making a sweet pie); 2/3 cup Crisco; and 3-4 tablespoons ice-cold water. Her's was always perfect. Perfectly flavored, perfectly crimped, and perfectly browned. Mom didn't make savory pies often, but this recipe was one of our favorites.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef (80-20 or leaner) OR ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced OR 1/2 bag frozen chopped onions
2 large russet potatoes, diced OR 2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
3 carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas
OR 1-12oz bag of frozen peas and carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low sodium beef broth
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Crust for one 9" double-crust pie
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
In 12" skillet, brown ground meat until pinkness is gone. Drain ground meat in a colander and set aside.
Return skillet to the cooktop. Over medium-high heat, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and carrots. Stir and saute until onions are translucent.
Add potatoes and garlic. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add broth to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid. Steam vegetables for 10 minutes.
Remove lid and add frozen peas and cooked ground meat. Stir to combine Turn off heat and set skillet aside.
Fit a 9" deep-dish pie pan with one pie crust. Spoon in the meat filling.
Place the second pie crust over the top. Crimp the edges to seal both crusts. Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the crust.
Make egg wash with one egg and 1 Tablespoon water. Brush the top crust with egg wash.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is nicely golden brown.
Remove pie to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can make a simple beef sauce to serve. In the same skillet used to cook the vegetables over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Add 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Mix to form a roux. Add 2 cups warmed beef broth. Stir and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Check for seasoning - add salt and/or pepper if needed. You can also add dried herbs to the sauce to kick up the flavor.
Please see additional notes in the body of my post for other suggestions.
I watched Ree Drummond, aka “The Pioneer Woman,” make this recipe “Steakhouse Pasta” on the Food Network Channel. Quite literally, my mouth was watering. I strayed from Ree’s recipe a wee bit based on ingredients I had on hand.
Rather than skirt steak, I had a package of chuck steak in the fridge waiting to be transformed. The steaks were only $3.69/pound at the grocery and Richard loves chuck steaks although I rarely buy them. In the “Wayback Days”, my dad used to buy chuck steak not for a family meal, but for his cherished buddy, Harry, his dog. Harry was spoiled and happy.
I also added some fresh mushrooms and used frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh. Ree’s recipe calls for crumbled blue cheese. I opted for freshly grated Parmesan and cream cheese. The Pioneer Woman was shooting for a steakhouse-like pasta dish, thus the blue cheese, spinach, and horseradish – all steakhouse classics. And she uses pappardelle, which is a wide pasta – wider than fettuccine. I had linguine on hand so that’s what I used.
I must say that this was an easy and delicious dish. Plenty of creamy, cheesy sauce punched with a flavorful variety of veggies for the pasta. And the grilled steak that goes with it is perfect, even if it was chuck steak which turned out to be flavorful and tender. No wonder Harry was so happy!
Let’s Make Some, Shall We?
First thing, fill a large pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil. This is for the pasta. Be sure to save 1-2 cups of the pasta water after cooking to use for the sauce. Prepare the pasta while you’re cooking the sauce. If you’re using frozen spinach, thaw it in the microwave for 45 seconds, drain it, and squeeze it dry using paper towels.
Here are all my lovely assembled ingredients for the sauce except the heavy cream and half-n-half. I had a partial container of cherry tomatoes in the fridge, so I halved them and threw them in with the canned tomatoes. I quartered baby portobello mushrooms – I use portobellos because I think they have more flavor than white buttons. Notice there are no onions used in this sauce. However, I wouldn’t judge you if you threw in 1/2 a diced or sliced onion.
I love horseradish and its addition gives the sauce a nice kick without an overpowering flavor. The horseradish I use is from St. Elmo’s Steak House, an Indianapolis institution. St. Elmo’s is famous for their shrimp cocktail served with a memorable eye-watering, sinus-clearing, breath-stopping cocktail sauce. Their sauce is HEAVY with freshly grated horseradish they prepare every day. It’s legendary. St. Elmo’s sells their cocktail sauce and horseradish commercially and it’s now easy to find in grocery stores. Theirs is the only horseradish I use. There’s little horseradish in this recipe – don’t be afraid. If you hate horseradish, leave it out.
Next, in a 12″ heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat add one Tablespoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Stir the mushrooms around for 5 minutes or so until they begin to soften and brown. I don’t use lots of oil when I brown mushrooms. I like to heat them up so they release their liquid and the liquid reduces a bit. I think it adds a little umami to a dish. Mushrooms are perfect to add subtle flavor.
Add the minced garlic to the mushrooms and stir for one minute or less until the garlic becomes fragrant.
See how the mushrooms cooked down and left flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the skillet? Lovely. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, if using. Stir and cook until the tomatoes just begin to wilt. Then stir in 1/2 cup of white wine or chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Quick – 2-3 minutes.
Add canned petite diced tomatoes with their liquid along with 1/2 Tablespoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes or so stirring every once in a while.
While the sauce is cooking, it’s time to get the steak ready for the grill. My chuck steak was thin enough, 1/2″, that I cooked it quickly on our gas grill, but you can easily use a grill pan or large skillet on top of the stove. Sprinkle the meat with a little salt and pepper on both sides. When your grill or skillet is hot, sear the meat for 3-4 minutes on both sides for medium-rare. When done, remove from heat to a plate and loosely cover with foil until you’re ready to serve.
Here’s the finished beautiful sauce and how to make it:
Reduce the heat to low under the tomato and mushroom mixture.
Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of half-n-half. If you don’t have heavy cream, use all half-n-half. Stir until it’s all incorporated.
Stir in 2-3 oz of cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted into the mixture.
Add 1 Tablespoon horseradish, if using. Stir.
Add 3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until it’s all incorporated.
Add 3 cups of fresh spinach OR run a knife through the thawed and dried frozen spinach to break up the clumps. Stir until incorporated
I had 1/4 cup or so of roasted pine nuts hanging around on the kitchen counter, so they went into the sauce, too.
Add the cooked, drained pasta. Using tongs, toss everything together until the pasta is well coated. You may have to add some of the pasta cooking water to help loosen the pasta – I find doing so actually makes the pasta sauce creamier. I topped my finished pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese – why not?
Slice your steak into strips and serve on top of the pasta or serve into individual pasta bowls with steak on the side like I did here and top with more freshly grated Parmesean at service.
And there you have it! This dish is filled with flavor from all the vegetables and cheese, and so satisfying.
Thanks, Ree, for your inspiration! This recipe is going on my regular menu rotation!
Yield: 6
Steak with Creamy, Cheesy Pasta, Tomatoes & Mushrooms
This dish is inspired by The Pioneer Woman's Steakhouse Pasta. It's filled with flavor from all the vegetables and a creamy, cheesy sauce perfect for pasta. Delicious and so satisfying!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds dried pasta, I used linguine but pappardelle or fettuccine works, too
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8oz baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, optional
1 15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half-n-half
2-3 oz cream cheese at room temperature and cut into chunks
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for serving
1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 box frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry with paper towels and chopped again to break up clumps OR 3 cups fresh spinach
1-2 cups reserved pasta cooking water
1 pound chuck steak OR skirt steak, flank steak - any thin steak that will grill quickly
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, make the pasta sauce.
Heat a 12" heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes or so until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their liquid.
Add minced garlic, stir, and saute for 1 minute or less until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add white wine, stir scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet and gently simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add cherry tomatoes, if using, stir and cook until the tomatoes are just softened.
Add petite diced tomatoes and dried basil, stir. Gently simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Get steak ready for the grill. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Or use a grill pan or large skillet on the stovetop. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest until service.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta cooking water. Drain cooked pasta. Set aside.
Reduce heat under tomato sauce to low. Add heavy cream, half-n-half, and horseradish. Stir until warmed.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
Add Parmesan and stir.
Add spinach and stir. If using fresh spinach, cook until it begins to wilt.
Add the cooked, drained pasta. Using tongs, lift the pasta until coated with sauce. You may need to use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce so it coats evenly.
Cut steak into 1/2" strips and serve on top or along side the pasta.
Notes
Feel free to substitute 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese for cream cheese. You may use 1 cup half-n-half in place of 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 cup of half-n-half.
I love any main dish that incorporates beef and tomatoes. There’s just something so magical about the melding of flavors that shouts out “comfort food” to me. Like Best Spaghetti and Awesome Meatballs. Or Chuck Roast with Peppers, Tomatoes and Cheese Grits. My mother used to make a rump roast in an oven bag with only a can of cream of tomato soup, dried basil, salt, and pepper. The gravy was fabulous used to assemble roast beef manhattans and mashed potatoes. Old Fashioned Cube Steak with Tomato Gravy is an old-timey dish inspired by Mom’s roast beef recipe minus the soup. I’m also paying homage to my Midwestern roots where hearty meals are a staple.
I don’t remember when I started to use cube steak. Maybe because I cooked a lot of breaded cubed pork tenderloin over the years. The beef version looked similar so, I think I simply decided to give this meat cut a try.
Cube steak is cut from the beef top round or top sirloin – not normally tender cuts of meat. So butchers run the pieces through an electric meat tenderizer a couple of times that gives the finished steak patty a distinctly dimpled look. The resulting “cubes” running over the surface of the meat patty is how cube steak got its name. Of course, you could “cube” your own steaks using a meat mallet and a strong arm – a great way to relieve situational frustration. I prefer to let the butcher work his magic. Cubing tenderizes and flattens the meat, so it cooks quicker than a chuck roast. Cube steak is pretty lean, so it doesn’t benefit from marbling that would make the cooked steak as tender as real steaks – don’t expect “melt-in-your-mouth” tender. As beef goes, it’s relatively inexpensive. And cube steak is essential for chicken fried steak and cream gravy – YUM!
Let’s see how Old Fashioned Cube Steak and Tomato Gravy comes together, shall we?
First, dry off the meat patties with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lightly sprinkle the patties with flour. The flour helps to form a nice crusty exterior as the meat browns.
In a heavy 12″ skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meat patties and brown on both sides. Be sure not to crowd the pan – cook the meat in batches so the patties brown and don’t steam.
This is a picture from another cube steak meal. I like how the browned steak looks in this one. Definitely the desired goal. The meat should not be cooked through – simply nicely golden brown.
As the cube steaks are browned, I put them aside in the inverted pan lid. Meat juices will accumulate and you’ll want to add those back into the pan. Read on . . .
OK – now you have all kinds of tiny brown bits packed full of flavor in your skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and add one large sliced onion and one large sliced yellow, red, or green pepper along with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Saute the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick and burn.
Add one 15oz can of stewed tomatoes and their juices. Add one beef bouillon cube and one cup of water OR one cup of reduced-sodium beef stock to the pan. And one teaspoon dried basil. Stir to distribute everything. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes soften.
Return the browned cube steaks to the pan with the tomatoes and vegetables along with the accumulated meat juices. Ladle some of the pan juices and vegetables over the tops of the meat. Bring to a slow simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or so. Once cooking is done, I like to remove the meat to a platter and mash the pan juices and vegetables so it looks more like gravy. If the gravy is too thin, bring up the heat and cook a little longer until you get the right consistency. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
Your reward is revealed! My family loves this dish served with lots of mashed potatoes slathered with tomato gravy. But you could serve cooked rice or egg noodles.
I considered using a slow cooker. With as much prep cooking and only a final 30-minute simmer, I opted for the stovetop. However, you certainly could finish cooking in a slow cooker. I’d advise putting the browned meat patties in the bottom of the slow cooker, and then add the gravy ingredients over the cube steak. Probably 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low would work. Your gravy may be a little thinner, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Here’s the recipe!
Yield: 4
Old Fashioned Beef Cube Steak with Tomato Gravy
Old Fashioned Cube Steak with Tomato Gravy is an old-timey dish inspired by Mom's roast beef recipe. I'm also paying homage to my Midwestern roots where hearty meals are a staple. A family favorite served with lots of mashed potatoes.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
2 pounds cube steak, four pieces
1 large onion, cut into slices
1 large yellow, red, or green pepper, cut into strips
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can stewed tomatoes
1 beef bouillon cube plus one cup water OR 1 cup reduced-sodium beef stock
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
Flour
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Pat dry cube steaks with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt & pepper on both sides. Dust with flour on both sides.
Add 2 Tablespoon olive oil to a 12" heavy-bottomed skillet. Bring to heat over medium-high heat.
Add cube steaks to the skillet, two at a time, and brown. As the meat browns, remove to a plate or to the skillet's inverted lid.
Once all the meat is browned, reduce skillet heat to medium. Add onion, sliced pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic. Stir and saute for 5 minutes.
Add stewed tomatoes, bouillon cube, and water OR beef stock, and dried basil. Bring to simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
Return cube steaks to the skillet along with accumulated meat juices. Ladle the tomato/vegetable mixture over the meat. Reduce to slow simmer. Cover with lid. Cook for 30 minutes.
Remove meat to a platter. (Optional: Mash vegetables and gravy.) Pour tomato gravy over cube steak OR plate individually and ladle tomato gravy over meat.
Serve with plenty of mashed potatoes and any green vegetable.
Notes
For Slow Cooker: Place browned cube steaks in bottom. Pour tomatoes, vegetables, and pan juices over the meat. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
Here’s another comfort food “oldie-but-goodie.” Hot and bubbly from the oven ground meat and vegetable casserole topped with a classic whipped potato crust that forms a nicely browned top layer. Mimi’s Shepherd’s Pie is made special by adding a can of creamed corn on top of the meat and vegetables and before the potato layer is slathered on. Warm and satisfying, indeed. YUM!
And there’s the bonus of the rich brown gravy that comes together as the casserole bakes. This is one of my son-in-law’s favorite meals, cold day or not. And it’s easy to make – this is a good dish for beginning cooks. It’s a no-brainer.
I learned to add creamed corn from this recipe at Bitchin’ Kitchen – who made her own. You know what else she taught me – make the mashed potatoes with both sweet and russet potatoes. The resulting mashed potatoes are orange – perfect to serve kiddos before a Halloween Night on the Town. And she tops the mashed potato topping with crushed potato chips for a nice crunch. Yes, I’ve made her recipe and it’s fabulous! You can find Nadia G’s recipe HERE. I loved Bitchin’ Kitchen. If you’ve never watched her show, it’s well worth seeking out. Nadia was not only a talented chef, but she also has a twisted sense of humor that I adore. Her show was fun, and she and her support cast of characters always me laugh, and I learned a lot, too. Nadia had an interesting take on some classic recipes like KEY LIME HABENERO CHEESECAKE. Or how about her CREAMY GORGONZOLA AND PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM RISOTTO? I adore her pizza dough recipe found HERE At Mimi’s Table.
I digress . . . I did not make this pie with sweet potatoes. However, just substitute 1/2 sweet potatoes and 1/2 russet potatoes and there you have it.
What makes this recipe soooo easy?
We all should have a pound or two of lean ground beef/turkey in the refrigerator/freezer, right? Use your microwave to defrost frozen ground beef/turkey, if that’s what’s happening in your busy world. And all the rest is assembled from frozen vegetables like peas & carrots, chopped onions. And canned creamed corn, if you aren’t into making your own like Nadia G.
Dare I say it? Yes, buy ready-made mashed potatoes, if you must, but you’ll need a couple of packages for adequate top layer cover – that’s expensive but at times necessary. I get it. If you have time, make your own mashed potatoes with russets or russets/sweet potatoes. Your people will love you.
Shall we cook together? I think so.
Start your potatoes
You know the drill. Peel 2-3 pounds of potatoes. I opt for more potatoes – in my family’s world that’s the most important part. Russets are preferred here. Or an equal combination of russets and sweet potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let sit for another 10 minutes. This is the way I like to prepare potatoes to be mashed. I have an electric stove-top, so when I turn off the heat on the burner, the potatoes benefit from a moving-to-cooler bath. They’re not boiled to death. While the potatoes are processing, I get the meat layer ready.
Get the meat layer ready
Brown 2 pounds of ground beef over medium-high heat. I would recommend using nothing less than 85% fat content beef. Yes, 75-80% ground beef is cheaper, but there’s so much fat drained off after browning that I’m not sure cheaper ground meat is cost-effective. Nadia uses ground sirloin, a great lean choice. Or use ground turkey browned in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, an excellent substitute, leaner, protein-packed, and calorie-friendly. Want to go crazy? Use ground lamb.
Once the meat is browned, drain off fat leaving about 2-3 Tablespoons in the skillet. Add one large chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook for another minute. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Add one cup of beef broth then add 1-2 12oz bags of frozen peas and carrots, stir and cook through until the veggies are thawed and hot. Adding a second bag of frozen vegetables is a fabulous way to extend the recipe – you can serve more people.
Assemble the first layer
Distribute cooked meat layer in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish.
Drain and mash potatoes
I rarely measure the milk/half ‘n half I use. Usually, I just pour maybe 1/2 cup and mash with 1/4 stick of butter. If the potatoes are too dry, I add a little more milk/half ‘n half and mash again until I get the right consistency. For this recipe, it’s OK if the potatoes are a little wet – they’ll spread easier and liquid will evaporate as the casserole bakes. I added 1 teaspoon of dried chives to this batch. And I either use milk or half ‘n half or a mixture of both depending on my mood. If I want really rich tasting mashed potatoes, like for the holidays, I’ll use only half ‘n half.
Then slather the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat mixture. Proper Shepherd’s Pie has lots of mashed potatoes.
Pop into a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes. Everything is cooked, so you’re basically heating the casserole through. Flip on the broiler and let the mashed potato layer get nicely browned.
I like to serve my Shepherd’s Pie in bowls, like pasta bowls. And serve with warmed, crusty bread with butter. Or serve with a nice green salad.
Yield: 6-8
Mimi's Shepherd Pie
Here's another comfort food "oldie-but-goodie." Hot and bubbly from the oven ground meat and vegetable casserole topped with a classic whipped potato crust that forms a nicely browned top layer. Mimi's Shepherd's Pie is made special by adding a can of creamed corn on top of the meat and vegetables and before the potato layer is slathered on. Warm and satisfying, indeed. YUM!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
1-2 lbs lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground lamb
1 large onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 12oz bags frozen mixed vegetables without diced potatoes
1 15oz can creamed corn
2-3 pounds potatoes, any combination of russets and sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 - 3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dried chives
Instructions
Heat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground meat. If you're using very lean meat, add 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil to promote browning.
Add diced onion and minced garlic. Stir and sautee for 3-5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
Add frozen vegetables and stir until heated through.
While the meat is browning, prepare the potatoes. Put cubed potatoes in a large pan, cover with water, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit and allow potatoes to gently boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, put on the pan lid, and allow potatoes to steep in the hot water for 10 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to the heat. Add milk or half 'n half and butter, and mash. Add chives and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Once the meat/vegetable mixture is done, spread evenly in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Add one cup beef broth or reconstituted beef bullion. Evenly spread creamed corn over the meat/vegetable mixture.
Slather the top of the casserole with warm mashed potatoes, and spread evenly. Bake uncovered in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.
Turn on the broiler and let the mashed potato layer evenly brown. About 5-10 minutes.
Serve in wide pasta-type bowls with warm crusty bread and butter, or with a nice green salad.
Notes
Mimi's Shepherd's Pie is an excellent recipe for anyone learning to cook. It's simple and straightforward.
Use any lean meat - beef, turkey or lamb. If using lamb, I'd crank up the garlic. And use russet potatoes or a combination of white and sweet potatoes for the mashed layer.
We all need a quick and easy meal like this one in our arsenal. And everyone likely has a pantry and freezer with the ingredient staples on hand. Easy Crustless Taco Pie is not only delicious but gluten-free, low carb and keto-friendly. And did I mention this taco pie is kid-friendly, too? A win-win in my book of tricks.
There’s nothing special that you need. Ground beef or ground turkey, eggs, cheddar cheese, taco seasoning are the staples here.
Serve with a dollop of full-fat sour cream (keto-friendly), guacamole, spicy salsa and a simple shredded lettuce salad on the side with diced tomatoes.
Here’s a tip! I like to buy ground beef in multi-pound packages from a big box store. The meat is usually leaner, 85-15% fat and I find it is cheaper per pound than buying ground meat in the grocery. When you make this recipe, why not brown 2-3 pounds at a time. Then separate the cooked meat into equal portions, load a freezer bag or two and store in the freezer. You’ll have cooked ground meat at the ready for another recipe Sloppy Joe’s or quick meat spaghetti sauce or tacos. Looking for even leaner meat? Use ground turkey instead. I’ve found ground turkey may be substituted for ground beef in most recipes.
I had to share this recipe if only to show the beautiful rise from the eggs. Yes, the dish deflates a little while it cools. But look! Isn’t it pretty out of the oven?
You’re happy! Your kids are happy! Everyone’s happy!
Yield: 4
Quick and Easy, Crustless Taco Pie - Gluten Free & Low Carb!
We all need a quick, simple, and easy meal like this one in our arsenal. And everyone likely has a pantry and freezer with the ingredient staples on hand. Quick and Easy Crustless Taco Pie is not only delicious but gluten-free and low carb. And did I mention kid friendly? A win-win in my book of tricks.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Ingredients
In a small bowl combine:
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 Mexican oregano
1/4 - 1/2 cayenne pepper, if desired
For Meat Filling
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning, above
6 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream or half-n-half
4-6 oz shredded cheddar cheese, or Monterey Jack, or Monterey Pepper Jack depending on your pepper heat
Instructions
Taco Pie Assembly
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Spray 9" pie dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a 12" skillet, brown ground meat over medium-high heat until cooked through and no pink is showing.
Add diced onion and minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute.
Add 3 Tablespoons (or one package) of taco seasoning to the browned meat. Continue to cook for 2 minutes until the mix becomes fragrant.
Spread the meat filling into the prepared pie dish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream or half-n-half. Pour slowly over meat mixture in the pie pan.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center has nicely risen and begins to brown. 30-40 minutes.
Remove taco pie to a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with accompaniments, if desired.
I am not a big fan of canned vegetables. Frozen is the way to go for me if I’m not using fresh veggies. 
Please Note: There is no binder in the meat pie filling. Part of this is because adding more liquid to the filling can make the bottom crust soggy. I like the ground beef pot pie to be dryer with a flaky crust. That’s why I suggested making a side beef gravy. However, you might add one cup of shredded cheese just before spooning the filling into the pie crust. You can even make the pot pie Southwestern by adding a can of drained chopped chilies and shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the filling, too, served with a lovely salsa with shredded lettuce, sour cream and/or guacamole. It’s really up to you.
