Shepherd's Pie

A few months ago, we were watching Food Network and our good friend Guy Fieri was at at restaurant highlighting their Shepherd's Pie. I told Philip how good my mom's was and he said I should make it sometime. Lucky for me, my mom checks her email on a regular basis and was able to email me her recipe the next day. (Thanks, mom!) So without further ado ...

Shepherd's Pie

(Sorry, no picture--I'll get better at that.)

1 lb. ground beef

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 small bag mixed vegetables

1 can tomato soup

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. chili powder

cheddar cheese (about  1/2 cup, shredded)

In frying pan, brown ground beef until cooked through. Add tomato soup (straight from the can, don't add water or milk), salt and pepper to taste, and chili powder. Set aside. While ground beef is cooking, peel and cut potatoes. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and mash (add butter and milk to desired consistency). In 9x9 baking dish, spread vegetables on the bottom of the pan, top with meat mixture, and spread mashed potatoes on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

Tips and Tricks:

• To save some time, I use Ore Ida Steam n Mash potatoes. You heat them in the microwave (in the bag), and just add milk and butter before you mash. Super easy!
• My mom's recipe just called for 1 can of green beans or 1 can of corn, or both. I like the peas/corn/carrots/green bean mix, so I just use a small bag of that. Really, it can be tailored to your and your family's liking.
• The great thing about this recipe is it can make as much or as little as you want/need. I make this in a 9x9 baking dish, and it fills it to the top ... plus a little. You could easily make it in a 9x13 baking dish, increase the amount of meat/vegetables/potatoes, and feed a larger crowd.
• This tastes great the next day! Very easy to eat as leftovers the next day for lunch, or even again for dinner.