Shepherd's Pie - Spiralized Comfort


The last few months have been stressful. Jay and I have been trying to buy a house and many days it has felt like an uphill battle. One offer after another biting the dust because of multiple bidders. 
Who knew it would be such a challenge? We've both lost sleep and learned a lot of lessons along the way....including when to walk away from each other to take a break and when to soothe and encourage.
And we've needed some extra comfort at the end of many days.

Presenting a very comforting and tasty supper {and one of Jay's favorite dishes}.....Shepherd's Pie. This one is made using my handy spiralizer, which is a fun kitchen gadget used for slicing vegetables and fruits into noodles and ribbons. There were quite a few ingredients to push through the spiralizer for this recipe....so let's just say I got a bit of a workout from start to finish. 



My friend Samantha gave me this spiralizer last year and it has been a treat to use. I like the Paderno brand - it's sturdy, easy to use and simple to clean. And P.S. - Paderno has a lot of recipes on their website - check them out here!

My husband's favorite use for it is shredding potatoes for his favorite breakfast hash browns {honestly, I kinda like my hash browns in chunks rather than shreds....but let's just keep that our little-happy-marriage secret}.
Hey if you have a spiralizer, I'd love to hear from you. What's your favorite thing to make with it? 



I bought a spiralizing cook book recently so I would be inspired to use my spiralizer more frequently and make sure it doesn't land in the closet of forgotten appliances. This is my first recipe from the book and I think it was a winner. Jay was a happy guy and that makes me very happy. It's great to feed those you love, in good times and in challenging times, right?

By the way - we FOUND a house! We are finally in a contract and should close at the end of the month. So the story has a happy ending {fingers and toes still crossed for a few more weeks}. Hallelujah....whoop, whoop!! 

Shepherd's Pie with Crispy Topping
Adapted from Spiralize Now!

Serves 4

Filling:
1 yellow onion, ends trimmed
2 carrots, peeled, ends trimmed 
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup hot beef broth
1 Tablespoon tomato puree
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dried herb mix {I used an Italian blend variety}

Topping:
2 parsnips, peeled and ends trimmed
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, ends trimmed
4 1/2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Fit the spiralizer with the 3mm spaghetti blade. Spiralize the onion and carrots, keep them separate.
Place olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onions into skileet and cook for about five minutes or until browned. Add the carrots and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Cook for one minute, stirring occasionally, then add beef broth, tomato puree, soy sauce, and dried herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer, partially covered, for about 15 minutes.

While meat mixture cooks, preheat oven to 350F.

Make the topping: Using the same spiralizer blade, spiralize the parsnips and potatoes. Place them into a pot of boiling water {I did it in two batches} and cook 2-3 minutes, just till tender. Drain and cool slightly. Place in a large bowl and stir in the cheddar cheese.

Transfer the meat mixture to a greased 8x8 square casserole dish {6 cups} and top with the potato mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes till browned and bubbly. Dive in!

Comments

  1. You found a HOUSE!!!! Congrats, I'm so happy for you, I know it's been a struggle!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! It sure has been a challenge. We didn't give up though and are glad our perseverance paid off.

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