Mexican Shepherd's Pie

Terri Newell's Note:

My 6 year old daughter says this is the best thing she's tasted in her whole life ! That's high praise from a normally fussy child, so this recipe is definitely a do-over.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 1/4 ounces taco seasoning mix
• 2 cups canned corn niblets
• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Brown and drain ground beef.
2. Add taco seasoning to taste [we prefer a less spicy mix, so I only use half the envelope].
3. Add corn.
4. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until tender, then mash.
5. If you like, you can add butter and milk.
6. Spread about one third of the potatoes in a round 2 quart casserole dish.
7. Top with the ground beef mixture, then the cheese. Finish with the remaining potatoes.
8. To use right away, bake at 350 about 30 minutes.
9. To freeze, cover and freeze until solid. Lift out of casserole dish and wrap in foil. Place in zipper bag, label with name and date. Use within 3 months.
10. To reheat, unwrap and place in original dish, defrost completely. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

Reviews

[Mindelicious]

This was a great base recipe!! I added onions and garlic to the beef when I put in the corn & taco seasoning. I felt the beef was a bit dry for my DH's liking so I added about 1/3 cup beef gravy and some red pepper paste to increase the heat. I already had the pots boiling so I left the beef on low heat while I mashed the potatoes which I did as I normally do - sour cream, butter, roasted garlic, salt, pepper, and left over boiling water to make it the right consistency. After I had it all assembled I spinkled cayenne and garlic salt on top. My husband had two servings and will also enjoy eating the leftovers later this weekend. Thanks for a great dinner!!

[Raquel Grinnell]

Very tasty family meal! I made just a couple of changes: I sauteed a small onion with the beef, then added a drained can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. The rest was as written, with a sprinkling of saved taco seasoning over top of the mashed potatoes for color. The teenagers loved it and said it was better than Taco Bell.... High praise, indeed! :)

[Ransomed by Fire]

I made this for lunch, reduced to two servings, using one very large potato, half a can of corn, a half pound of ground beef, with half a batch of Taco Bell Taco Seasoning Clone/Copycat and half a cup of cheese. As written, it was pretty good but not much more impressive than my usual shepherd's pie. But, once we added salsa and sour cream (and, in my husband's case, Taco Bell taco sauce), it was definitely something different. Thanks for bringing a nice twist to a classic dish!