Shepherds Pie

I grew up with one version of shepherds pie. When we got married, I made it, and Rusty didn't like it, because he was used to his mom's way of making it. Then, when we were in Australia, I saw a cooking show, and I was intrigued by the version of shepherd's pie that they made. I started making it, and we've never gone back. It's very different, but give it a try, I think you'll like it. It makes a lot of the bottom filling, so I always freeze half of it and make another shepherd's pie a couple weeks later.

Shepherd's Pie

1 pound sausage or hamburger (I prefer sausage)

1 small onion, diced

1 can corn

2 small zucchini's, diced

1 cup diced carrots

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup green peas

2 cups water

2 chicken gravy packets

3 large sweet potatoes, cubed

Put the sweet potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and cook over medium heat

While potatoes are cooking, saute the onion and sausage until cooked, then set aside. In same pan, saute the celery, and carrots about five minutes, then add the zucchini and cook until tender. Add the peas, corn, sausage mixture, water and gravy packets, and cook until gravy has thickened. (Reduce water to 1 cup, and only use 1 gravy packet if you don't want a lot of gravy.) Pour half the mixture into an 8x8 pan, and the rest into another 8x8 pan. Let the second pan cool, then place in freezer. It will keep for several months, until you're ready to make another shepherd's pie.

When the potatoes are soft, drain and mash. Add a little milk if the potatoes are too dry. Top the sausage/vegetable mix with the sweet potatoes and bake at 350 degrees until nice and bubbly. Liz doesn't like sweet potatoes, so I usually make a small batch of instant potatoes, and put them on one corner of the filling.