Shepherd's Pie

I haven’t had this for at least two years. That’s how long I’ve been watching what I eat – counting calories. This is an example of how people create imaginary barriers. I didn’t want to figure out how many calories were in it. It’s made in a casserole dish, so it can’t be cut equally, like lasagna. All of the ingredients needed to be added, then divided. The casserole dish needed to be weighed alone and then again when the dish was complete. See? It can be exhausting…that 20 minutes…that ONE time it needs to be done. The thing is I’ve wasted 20 minutes every day for the last two years doing other, less productive things. I could’ve been doing this; enjoying this.

My Mom used to make this and used tomato soup in the hamburger mixture. Unfortunately, Campbell’s Tomato Soup has wheat flour in it. Why? I have no idea. It just does and it makes me cranky if I talk about it. So, I’ve had to improvise on some recipes. There’s a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup but not your standard tomato soup. In this Shepherd’s Pie, I use one cup of tomato sauce and one half cup of Amy’s Tomato Bisque – which is gluten free. The bisque on its own is a little too sweet but it softens the harshness of the tomato sauce perfectly if you use just half a cup. If you don’t have to worry about being gluten free you can use a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup instead of the sauce and bisque in this recipe. Or if you are gluten free but have access to a good canned tomato soup, by all means, use that.

This is the perfect thing to have on this wintry, stormy long week-end in Nebraska. The snow is flying with visibility less that a quarter of a mile. We’re expecting to get 7-10 inches of snow. We are grateful to be warm and safe in our home. We have groceries to last for days. We have everything we need right here. And we’ve been fed with this warm, hearty casserole. Now you can, too, and I’ve saved you 20 minutes of your life!

Shepherd’s Pie

4 cups of potatoes, cubed and boiled.

When ready to mash, add:

¼ cup milk

2 tbsp butter

Mash well.

While the potatoes are boiling:

1 lb hamburger

¼ of an onion

A little garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Throw this all in a pan and brown the hamburger.

Then, mix in:

1 cup tomato sauce

½ cup Amy’s Tomato Bisque

1 can cut green beans

Place in a greased 2 quart casserole. Top with mashed potatoes and top that with:

6 slices Velveeta cheese

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before eating.

Nutrition facts for 308.5 g (1/6 of the casserole):

• Calories: 310.3
• Fat: 12.5
• Carbs: 23.7
• Fiber: 2.8
• Protein: 24.4