Lazy AF Shepherd's Pie

Today I wanted to cook chicken noodle soup because it was obviously chicken noodle soup weather, but Jess didn't want that.  As some kind of conciliatory offering, they suggested I make shepherd's pie instead, which I wanted to make like a week ago and they didn't want that then, either.  This is what I have to deal with.

So I googled some shepherd's pie recipes, even "easy" shepherd's pie recipes, but they all seemed like a lot of trouble.  I need to talk to some people about what easy means.  

So I decided to do what I knew actually needed to be done, and I went to kroger.  That's right.  I made my own recipe.

This is what I got.  I was actually looking for frozen mashed potatoes.  These weren't mashed yet, but they are frozen, steam in the bag, dump in a bowl and mash.  "It's so easy to boil potatoes!  You just boil them and mash them!"  I may have said something like that before, but I made a rule for this recipe: no chopping.  Also no measuring except where called for on the gravy package.  

I used my very well-loved and cared-for cast iron skillet for this project.  See also a relic from my past: a pampered chef meat browner tool thingy.  I used to go to parties like this and buy stuff and even host parties like this.  I don't do that any more.  But I still use this thing some time. YMMV.

Anyway, I used ground turkey because of like cholesterol or fat or something health related.  I know that really shepherd's pie is supposed to have lamb and if not lamb, beef, so this is like a second cousin once removed shepherd's pie.  

Actually we should probably call this domesticated sheep onlooker who keeps looking at their phone pie.  

 

I put some seasoning in the meat.  I used to measuring tool that you see here: the palm.  I put some garlic powder in, and then some more garlic powder.  Also a good sprinkle of onion powder and then some more.  Then I put in a palmish amount of thyme and a healthy pan-covering sprinkle of cavender's Greek seasoning.

I didn't drain the meat because it was 93% lean ground turkey and I do what I want.  I put in the package of peas and carrots and the can of corn and got those vegetables thawed and warm.  

Jess was kind enough to take a short video so that if you need help copying my sophisticated measuring methods, you won't have any trouble.

I'm very bad at blog production so this is mostly just empty space because I suck at layout. 

After the vegetables were all good and seasoned and stuff, I used the measuring glass to make the gravy packets.  Gravy packets actually need to be mixed with cold water because it's less likely to clump that way.  I did it one packet at a time and added it to the skillet.  

JJess had stuck the sack of potatoes in the

microwave for me earlier.  They need ten minutes.  So as the gravy bubbled and thickened, I got those dumped in a bowl.  I stuck in two tablespoons of butter because butter is really easy to measure, and I eye-balled some milk into the bowl.  Then I mashed them up real good with a potato masher.  I had the oven pre-heated to 375.  I dolloped the potatoes over the top, smoothed them out a little, and stuck them in the oven.  I set a timer for 10 

minutes. 

I'm sure good food bloggers and even good people who contribute to society don't have homemade charcoal in the bottom of the oven.  Most of this charcoal comes directly from totinos party pizzas and if you have never made those, I'm not sure if this is the blog for you.  If you clean your oven before using it without smoking up the house becomes impossible, I don't know if we should even be friends.  

With about 1:45 left on the timer, I turned on the broiler so I could have some brown tips on the lovely peaks of my pie.  I set another timer for 2 minutes and then crouched in front of the oven to watch so I wouldn't burn the shit out of this.

When the timer went off, I turned off the oven and then waited a minute or two to open it because apparently the broiler makes the oven really fucking hot.  Then I pulled out my creation.

As you can see, it was beautiful.  Also, I promise you, this shit is GOOD.  I had two bowls.  Jess had two bowls.  I convinced Tyler to take a bite.  He liked it, but he said that was because his bite didn't have any carrots.  I gave him another bite.  He asked for his own bowl.  

So make this.  Here's the actual recipe, all mine.

1 package of frozen ore ida potatoes

1 pound of ground turkey

2 packets brown gravy mix

1 package frozen peas and carrots

1 can of corn

various seasonings

I'm tired now.  Take those things and do the stuff to them.  You won't be sorry.