Savory Mushroom and Onion Shepherd's Pie

Savory Mushroom and Onion Shepherd's pie is a recipe that I grew up on. My mother would often make this for Sunday dinner and we'd hoover it up~ vegetables and all. It's not what I'd call a 'from scratch' recipe, but it does have a few secret ingredients that make it live up to its' savory name :0)

For really delicious tasting shepherd's pie, it's important to use homemade mashed potatoes. I have made the mistake of using instant potato pearls in the past, and ended up with...well...blech. My homemade mashed potato recipe is flavored with not only butter, salt and pepper; half and half and cream cheese make the potatoes fabulously creamy and delicious tasting on their own.

One ingredient that really makes this shepherd's pie great is instant onion soup mix. (I'd almost call it a secret ingredient; I use it often to season beef.) Sprinkled over the ground beef when it's browning in the skillet. It makes the beef mmm mmm good! This is the only onion in the recipe, no wiping away tears while dicing fresh onion.

The 'mushroom' in the title comes from condensed cream of mushroom soup, which the vegetables are mixed into to form the second layer. I love the way it flavors the veggies, and sinks down to flavor the ground beef even more when it's baking in the oven. I personally load the shredded cheese on the top of this casserole, but you can cut back to whatever your taste preference. Just make sure you don't skip it all together, cheese makes everything taste better, and in this recipe cheddar cheese pulls all the flavors together and makes this recipe over the top delicious. Enjoy it!

Shepherd's Pie

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients (8 servings)

• 3 medium size russet potatoes
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup (about 1/3 a package) of cream cheese
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tablespoons powdered onion soup mix
• salt
• pepper
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn
• 1 can (15 oz) sliced green beans
• 1 and 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into approximately 1 inch chunks. Place in a pot and fill with water to 1 inch above the potatoes. Generously salt the water and set over a medium high burner. Boil the potatoes until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Place in a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, whip the potatoes with the half and half, butter, cream cheese salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, brown hamburger in a large skillet using a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Sprinkle the onion soup mix and salt and pepper over to season the meat. Stir often and cook until no pink spots remain. Drain excess fat from pan if necessary. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

3. Set your oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the condensed onion soup mix with the peas, corn and green beans. Spread out over the hamburger layer in the baking dish.

4. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the vegetable mixture all the way to the sides of the dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the potatoes and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve.

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