FATHER’S DAY COTTAGE PIE
Whenever I cook a
large dinner I always end up with lots of leftovers to make sure that everyone
gets plenty to eat- a throwback from my English grandmother, who wasn’t
satisfied she had made a good meal until you were so stuffed you could barely
move away from the table. I love
leftovers. Some foods gain more flavor
the second time around and after spending hours in the kitchen cooking it’s
nice to have a something on hand for a quick and easy meal the next day. My husband is a meat, mashed potatoes, and gravy
type of guy so I often make a pot roast with all the trimmings on Sunday. The only downside is you end up with several containers
of leftovers crowding your refrigerator.
I’ve heard about Shepherd’s Pie and even looked at some recipes about
Shepherd’s Pie, but it wasn’t until I saw a picture in a magazine with a
totally different name that something clicked in my brain, caught my attention
and imagination.
“Shepherd’s pie” became popular around the 18th
century when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for
the poor. It is generally agreed that it originated
in the north of England and Scotland where there are large numbers of
sheep--hence the name. Shepherds’ pie is made from ground lamb (not beef;
that is cottage pie) and vegetables baked under a potato topping, although in
early cookery books the pie dish was lined with mashed potatoes as well as
having a potato crust on top. Since 1877 the term “shepherd’s pie” has been
used synonymously with “cottage pie” whether the principal ingredient used was beef
or mutton.
This past Sunday while clearing up instead of grabbing
microwave containers for the leftovers, I started layering the leftovers in a
baking dish. Not only did I save space
in my frig, but when I decided to use what I call my Father’s Day Cottage Pie for a meal later all I did was add another
topping and pop it into the oven. My Father’s Day Cottage Pie was an instant
hit with my husband. So from now on whenever
I find myself with several leftovers from a big meal, I plan on making a Father’s Day Cottage Pie. The neat thing
about the Father’s Day Cottage Pie is
that you can incorporate all kinds of leftovers and toppings this way- the
amount of servings being relative to the quantity of food used.
FATHER’S DAY COTTAGE PIE
2 c cooked beef with gravy
1 c stove top dressing
1 c corn (drained)
2- 2½ c mashed
potatoes
6 slices Velveeta cheese
1 tb minced chives
Layer leftover beef (cut into bite size pieces) and gravy in
the bottom of a 7 x 11 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle the stove top dressing on top of the
beef and then add the corn. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top to the edge
of the baking dish. When ready to use place Velveeta cheese on top and garnish
with chives. Cover and bake at 350ยบ for 35 to 45 minutes until the cheese is
bubbly and slightly browned. Let sit for
five or ten minutes. This recipe serves six.
Tip: You can also freeze your Father’s Day Cottage
Pie to save for a busy day later on.
Just be sure and cover securely before freezing. Then thaw out and bake
in your oven for an instant meal!