Rosemary Shepherd's Pie

I was recently inspired with the delicious idea of making a shepherd's pie.  It's pie for dinner, after all.  What's not to like about that?  Having no family recipes to follow, I found one that looked sufficiently mouth-watering and set to work.  The recipe was for a single mini shepherd's pie, so I quadrupled it and made four.  They came out of the oven, bubbling and golden and beautiful.

They tasted horrible.  The carrots were underdone, the peas were mushy.  And since the recipe called for 2 T. tomato paste, my calculations brought it up to an entire can of tomato paste.  People.  Do not put a whole can of tomato paste into anything, unless you know what you are doing (which I certainly did not).  I hate wasting food, but a large percentage of that dinner might possibly have gone uneaten.

Anyway, last week I decided to try again (with a different recipe, of course).  I just couldn't admit defeat (or give up the idea of pie for dinner).  Let's just say the result was a million times better.  My husband described it as "the gourmet version of shepherd's pie."  Forget the tomato paste.  I'm going with rosemary and Parmesan from now on.

The original recipe called for 2 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes.  You can do that, of course, or use leftovers, but I decided to make up a mini batch of fresh potatoes.  I used 3 large red potatoes, 2 T. butter, about 2-3 T. heavy cream (milk or half-and-half are fine too), and a dash of salt and fresh-ground pepper.  Peel and dice potatoes; bring to a boil in a pot of water.  Simmer until tender.  Drain; mash together with butter, cream, salt, and pepper.

I was also going to list the rosemary as an optional ingredient, but I think it really makes the recipe, so now it's part of the title.  Kroger often has fresh rosemary on clearance for $1 (in the produce section), and it's worth grabbing since you can always freeze it for later (just rinse, dry, and strip off the leaves).  Otherwise, dried rosemary will also work.  You won't regret the splurge.

Rosemary Shepherd's Pie (based on this recipe)
Time:  1 hour
Serves:  6

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of celery soup (cream of mushroom would work also)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (I used frozen peas and cooked fresh carrots)
1 can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/4 cup water
1 T. minced fresh rosemary OR 1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
1 tsp. garlic powder, divided
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups mashed potatoes (see note above)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until cooked through; drain.  Stir in the soup, peas and carrots, mushrooms, water, rosemary, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper; heat through.  Transfer to a greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate (I used a 10-inch quiche dish).

In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, sour cream, and remaining 1/2 tsp. garlic powder until blended.  Spread over top.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and potatoes and cheese are lightly browned.

Cheesy Brat Casserole

Comfort food (kuhm-fert food) n. 1. simple, home-style food that brings comforting thoughts of home or childhood. 2. Cheesy Brat Casserole.

This stuff is amazing.  It's the ultimate potluck dish.  Potatoes?  Check.  Cream of mushroom soup?  Check.  Canned veggies?  Check.  Loads of melty cheese?  Of course.  Toss in a pound of bratwurst and you've got the casserole of your dreams, all co-op supplied, I might add.

I was given this recipe along with a wedding gift from a friend at my home congregation.  It's actually called "Cheesy Brat Stew," but since it's nothing like a stew and everything like a casserole, I'm calling it a casserole.  You can call it whatever you want--just make it.

Cheesy Brat Casserole
Time:  1 hour, 15 minutes
Serves: 6

6 fully cooked bratwurst or Polish sausage (1 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a package of Cajun brats, which added a nice kick, and I broiled them to get them all browned and beautiful)
4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cubed (I used red potatoes and left the skins on; I cooked them in the microwave for about10 minutes, turning halfway through)
1 (14-16 oz.) can cut green beans, drained
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion (or half a large onion), chopped

In a 3-quart casserole, combine all ingredients.  Bake, covered, at 350 F for about 45 minutes.

Can be made ahead and put in the refrigerator.

Twice-"Baked" Potatoes

The thing I love so much about twice-baked potatoes is that you can basically do anything you want with them.  If you want to add three kinds of cheese, you can.  If you want to add a pound of bacon, you can.  If you want to add bacon and ham and cheese and sour cream and butter and more bacon, go for it.  Just don't blame me if your arteries explode from all the deliciousness.

I used red potatoes this time because I prefer the flavor, but regular russet potatoes are easier to work with because of their thicker skin.  Regardless of the type, leave a quarter-inch or so of the potato in the skin when you hollow it out--it will give the "shell" more stability.

If the potatoes are large enough, one per person plus a vegetable on the side is plenty for a meal.  Half a potato works well as a side dish.  You could also use several small potatoes and make appetizers.

Twice-"Baked" Potatoes
Serves:  2 (entree) or 4 (side)
Time:  1 hour

2 large potatoes
2-3 T. butter
2-3 T. milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
1/4 cup chopped cooked ham or bacon
1 small green onion, thinly sliced (OR 2-3 T. chives, chopped)
dash pepper
dash paprika

1.  Prepare potatoes:  Clean with vegetable brush under running water.  Remove any eyes.  Pierce on both sides with a sharp fork.  Microwave in 2-minute increments, turning over each time, until easily pierced with a fork.  (Two large potatoes should take about 6-8 minutes.)  Cool for 10-15 minutes.  Slice in half lengthwise; allow to cool until potatoes can easily handled.

2.  Using a spoon, carefully hollow out the potato halves, creating four shallow "bowls."  (See note above.)  Using a potato masher, combine scooped-out potato, butter, and milk until smooth.  Stir in cheese, meat, and green onion or chives.  Season with pepper to taste.

3.  Spoon mixture back into potato skins.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake in a small cake pan or casserole at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Variations:  Try mixing sour cream into the potato filling for a creamier consistency.  Experiment with different kinds of cheeses, including Parmesan or blue cheese.  Top with chopped steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, after baking.  The possibilities are endless!

Tuscan Potato Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

 
Nothing is quite so warm and comforting as a big pot of soup in the fall and all through the winter.  This one is a copycat version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana; it's based on this recipe from a friend of a friend.  Most of the ingredients, including bacon, Italian sausage, potatoes, onion, and garlic, are regularly available from the co-op.  You can sometimes get chicken broth there, too, but I usually just buy a container of bouillon, which is fairly inexpensive and keeps well.  Just reduce the amount of salt if you use bouillon or another high-sodium broth.  As for the other ingredients, kale is less than $1 a bunch, and you can chop the leftovers and freeze them in 2-cup amounts for use the next time you make this or a similar soup.  If you don't have half-and-half, you can also substitute 2% or whole milk plus an ounce or so of cream cheese.

Tuscan Potato Soup (Zuppa Toscana)
Prep time:  30 minutes
Total time:  1 to 1-1/4 hours
Serves:  8

5-1/4 cups chicken broth (or three 14-oz. cans)
9 cups water
3-5 pieces bacon
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
4 large potatoes, skin on and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
2/3 cup half-and-half (or 2/3 cup milk plus 1 oz. cream cheese)
1/2 to 1-1/2 tsp. salt (use the larger amount if using homemade broth or stock; otherwise 1/2 tsp. is plenty)
1 tsp. black pepper (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
2 cups kale leaves, chopped

1.  In a large stock pot combine water, broth, salt, and potatoes and set to a low boil.
2.  In a separate pan fry bacon until slightly crispy and set aside; discard bacon grease.
3.  In the same pan used to cook bacon, add Italian sausage, onion, and olive oil and simmer on low until sausage is browned and the consistency of hamburger.
4.  Chop bacon into small shreds (use food processor to save time) and add to the cooked sausage, then add entire mixture to the soup pot.
5.  Mix garlic, spices, and half-and-half (or milk/cream cheese) into the soup pot and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
6.  Five minutes before serving mix in the chopped kale leaves.