Shepherdess' Pie
Saw a lot of great beefy brown-gravy based dishes here at the 'Zaar, but I have a really old recipe that I want to post here that is a little different, using bechamel or white sauce. It's closer to a potato covered meatloaf with a definite taste of parsley. I originally found this many years back in a generic recipe book whose title had something to do with "1001 Recipes" from around the world. I was skeptical the first time I made it but my family just loves it - I suspect it's one of those recipes that you either really love or don't like, nothing in between. Try this when you get bored with your regular shepherd's pie.
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INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 1 1⁄2
- 1
- 1
- 1⁄4cup cracker crumb (smash crackers in a small plastic bag)
- 1⁄4
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1teaspoon thyme
- 1⁄4teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1teaspoon vinegar
- 1
- 4cups mashed potatoes
- 1⁄2cup monterey jack cheese, shredded (orig. recipe called for kefalotyri but I've never found that, any cheese will work, but jack or font)
- 1teaspoon paprika
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DIRECTIONS
- Start by making Bechamel Sauce: Melt 1/4 cup butter, then whisk in 3 tablespoons flour; cook for a minute, then slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups warm milk (can microwave milk a minute beforehand to warm it). Cook this, stirring constantly till it thickens and coats spoon. Set aside till ready to use.
- Combine 3/4 cup of Bechamel Sauce with onion, egg, cracker crumbs, parsley, salt, thyme, red pepper, and vinegar.
- Add this sauce mixture to meat and toss with two forks to mix lightly (don't overwork meat) Put this all into a casserole dish, level off top and make a slight indent with back of spoon (just like with meatloaf).
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, occasionally using a spoon to remove fat that collects in the indentation.
- Combine potatoes with remaining Bechamel Sauce.
- Remove meat from oven, sprinkle with the cheese, top with potatoes. Sprinkle with the paprika. Bake an additional 20 minutes.
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