Sheila's Shepherd's Pie

I have been making this for years, as it is quick and is a complete meal in one dish. I am posting my basic recipe but, if you'd rather have tomato sauce than gravy, try that instead. If you'd like, you can sprinkle about 1/2 cup of your favorite cheese over the potatoes before sprinkling with paprika. And you can also use two 16-oz. bags of frozen mixed vegetables instead of the corn, carrots, and peas, or any leftover vegetables you may have. This is really an incredibly versatile recipe! I would also suggest you check the seasoning before adding the cooked mixture to the baking dish. Both the onion soup mix and gravy have sodium, so taste it before adding salt. If you don't have leftover mashed potatoes, instant potatoes will work fine.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb lean ground beef
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 8  ounces  sliced mushrooms
• 1 (1 1/4ounce) envelope  onion soup mix
• 1 (10 1/2ounce) can  beef gravy
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
•  salt, to taste
• 1 (7 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can  sliced carrots, drained
• 1 (10 ounce) package  frozen peas, thawed
• 6  cups  warm seasoned mashed potatoes
•  paprika

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, and mushrooms until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are wilted. Drain any excess liquid, if necessary.
3. Add the soup mix, gravy, garlic powder, pepper and salt (if using); mix well.
4. Add the corn, carrots, and peas.
5. Place in a 2- or 2-1/2-quart casserole or baking dish that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.