Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie

With the cooler weather, Freddie & I have both been craving "comfort foods".  I had checked out this cookbook at the library (one of my favorite genres!) & found the Shepherd's Pie recipe.  I remember my mother making this often after Sundays when we had leftover mashed potatoes.  Believe it or not, when I was sick in my first trimester, this was my only dinner request from my mother-in-law.  So, we have fallen in love with this recipe & it's becoming a weekly dinner.  We have tried both lamb & beef.  Though we love lamb, we actually prefer the beef here.

Dutch Oven Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

TOPPING:
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled & cubed
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
Ground black pepper
2 large egg yolks

FILLING:
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, minced
2 carrots, peeled & cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup frozen peas
Salt & ground black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING: Heat oven to 400F. Put potatoes & 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large pan & add water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer & cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15-20 minutes. Prepare filling while waiting.

Drain the potatoes well, return them to the pot over low heat & mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Off the heat, fold in the butter until melted, then stir in the warm milk & season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the yolks.

FOR THE FILLING: Cook the meat in a Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Drain through a strainer, discarding the juice & fat. Let sit.

Add the butter, onions & carrots to the Dutch oven & cook over medium heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic & thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour & tomato paste & cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth & Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits & smoothing out any lumps. Bring to a simmer & cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the drained meat & peas, season with salt & pepper to taste & smooth the filling into an even layer. Dollop the potato topping over the filling, then spread it into an even layer, covering the filling completely & anchoring the potatoes to the sides of the pot.

Bake until the top is light golden, 20 to 25 minutes (takes less time if all ingredients are hot). Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Potato Soup with Kale

This basic potato soup recipe comes from my first cookbook I owned -- Betty Crocker!

Serves : 5 (or 3 servings for us!)

3 medium potatoes (about 1 pound)

1 can (14-1/2 oz) chicken broth (~1-3/4 c)

(Good tip on broth: http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/10/just-kitchen-tip.html)

2 medium green onions with tops (I put in more)

1-1/2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp dried thyme leaves

PLUS optional:

Ham & Kale

Peel potatoes & cut into medium pieces.  Heat broth & potatoes to boiling in saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally so the potatoes don't stick.  Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently.  Cover & cook about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  While potatoes are cooking, peel and thinly slice green onions.  When the potatoes are done, remove from heat, but do not drain.  Break poatoes into smaller pieces with potato masher or large fork.  The mixture should still be lumpy.  Stir in milk, salt, pepper, thyme, onions, ham & kale (desired amounts).  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot & steaming.  Do not let soup boil.

*** Starring: Thyme ***

Thyme is my favorite herb. I love the smell and taste. We stuff our roast chickens with it, along with a bay leaf, flattened garlic cloves, onions, celery and salt. Makes the house smell wonderful. We also found a recipe in a Betty Crocker cookbook for potato soup that is delicious and very quick to make. Will share it with you.

Home-Style Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
2 green onions with tops, chopped
1-1/2 c milk
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t dried thyme leaves (we use about 1 T of fresh leaves, chopped to release the flavor)

Peel & chunk the potatoes. Heat the broth & potatoes to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat so that the mixture gently boils. Cover & cook about 15 min or until the potatoes are soft. Break the potatoes into pieces. (We use a potato masher to mash a few chunks and give the soup a thicker consistency.) Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, thyme & onions into the mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring some, until hot & steaming. Do not let the soup boil. May add 1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese at the end.

NOTES: We often cook up a link of turkey sausage (or you can substitute vegetarian sausage) and toss it in when the soup is heating up at the end. If we do not have green onions, we use regular onion and cook it with the potatoes. The recipe makes a small batch, 3-4 servings.