Simple Shepherd Supper

Thatdad had a very different culinary upbringing than I did. There are stories told of frozen tuna sandwiches, sloppy joes, fluffernutters, and shepherd's pie. I didn't grow up with most of those dishes. Every now and then, when Thatmom would go out of town Thatdad would make us fluffernutters for lunch. And I think maybe once or twice Thatmom indulged him and made us sloppy joes. But mostly I grew up on roast chicken, broiled shrimp, and Peking duck.

I remember the first time I made a Turkey Pot Pie and it quickly became one of Thatdad and Thatboy's favorite meals I made. A definite throw back meal that wasn't a household staple for me, but easy enough with leftover Thanksgiving meat. I mean really, all you're doing is making a bit of a stew and covering it with pie crust.

I was under the impression that Shepherd's pie must be something similar, but I never made the elusive dish. I stuck with my pot pies. Even after I learned that it's a different creature in that it's covered with mashed potatoes and not pie crust.

And then I tried it. It was at an Irish pub - a great place to try new foods. And it seemed like such a fantastic concept. First of all, who doesn't like mashed potatoes? Especially when they're baked and golden. A cross between a mash and a hashbrown. Over a lamb stew? It seems like such a simple concept, but at the same time ingenius.

Shepherd's Pie
1/2 cups ground lamb, cooked
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1Tbsp flour
1/4 cup beef broth
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the lamb, garlic, onion, and rosemary and pulse in a food processor until combined.
   
2. Melt butter in a skillet and stir in flour, stirring until blended.
3. Add the beef broth and cook until you have a thick gravy.
4. Add the lamb mixture, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
5. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish and spread the mashed potatoes over top. Bake about 40 minutes, until potatoes have formed a golden crust.