Shepherd's Pie (3 ways)

Okay so this is not your expensive Shepherd's pie you will find in restaurants.  There will be no lamb or sauce or fancy potatoes.  Now that its been established here goes...I make this in a few variations depending on what I have on hand, but the basics of it is that the "crust" is basically a meatloaf and then the middle is a veggie and the top is mashed potatoes and cheese.  Tonight's version is as follows.  Beef with peas and carrots and mashed potatoes.  I will explain a turkey variation and a maple pork sausage version.  All I can say is I like pie in many forms.  I will add pictures later tonight if I can.  Enjoy.

Tonights version:

1 lb ground beef
3/4 C bread crumbs (usually have Italian on hand, but rocking plain tonight)
1/4 C ketchup or BBQ sauce (Had Sweet Baby Rays so that's the choice)
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 C frozen peas and a handful of matchstick carrots chopped up a little (usually I go with a can of drained corn with beef, but peas and carrots are what I had on hand)
1 pkg powdered Idahoan mashed potatoes (cooked, had buttery homestyle tonight, but whatever suits your fancy)
1 C or more sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I chose Tillamook Vintage White tonight)

Mix the ground beef and bread crumbs, egg, onion and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and mix well like you would a regular meatloaf (get in there and use your hands)  Once the meat mix is together place it in a 9 inch pie pan and flatten it out and flute it up the sides.  Pour the peas and carrots into the pie pan on top of the meat mix and set it aside.  Make the mashed potatoes then promptly spread that on top of the veggies.  Shred the cheese on top of that and put it in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes uncovered.


Now for the other versions...I hope you are getting the idea that really it just depends on what is on hand at the time.  The two most popular version outside of the one above are ground turkey with stuffing, potatoes and green beans AND maple pork sausage with corn and mashed potatoes.

1 lb Ground Turkey
1 egg
3/4 C bread crumbs
whatever spices you'd like
1 can green beans drained OR (my favorite is fresh green beans cut into about 2 inch pieces)
1 pkg turkey stuffing
1 pkg Idahoan powder potatoes
1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix together the ground turkey, egg and bread crumbs along with whatever spices you like.  Flatten into the bottom of the pan and flute along the sides like the other version then put the green beans in the pie pan, then make the pkg of stuffing and the mashed potatoes.  Then spread the stuffing over top of the green beans then spread the mashed potatoes on top of that then shred the cheddar cheese on top of that and cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F oven.


1 lb maple pork sausage
(sometimes I add a few tablespoons of real maple syrup to this)
1 egg
3/4 C bread crumbs
1 can drained sweet corn
1 pkg Idahoan potatoes
1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix the sausage with the egg and bread crumbs and flatten into the pie pan and flute up the sides like before then pour the drained corn into the meatloaf crust and make the potatoes.  Spread the potatoes over the corn and shred the cheese on top and cook for about 30 mins. in a 350 degree F oven.