Shepard's Pie

I am never a fan of mashed potatoes the next day, they seem to lose something with the storage, so instead of trying to eat my way through another plate of turkey dinner, after the holidays, I like to make something warm and comforting. I love shepard's pie in the winter, there is just something comforting about curling up with a plate when it is cold outside.

This is also great as it gets rid of extra gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables from turkey dinner (which saves a lot of prep time).

My Shepard's pie

1 lb lean ground beef
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup frozen corn (if desired)
1-2 cup leftover carrots (or frozen mixed veggies)
Leftover gravy (or make some with a clubhouse mix)

Directions:
1. Brown the meat and then add the celery and onion until the meat is cooked. Add the vegetables and gravy, mix and pour into a 3 quart casserole dish.
2. Top with the mashed potatoes (you will want at least an inch or so on top of the meat mixture). Using a fork draw lines in the potatoes (this will allow them to crisp up while baking).
3. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Reviews:
This turned out really well, and even using the clubhouse gravy (made with water) it wasn't too salty. It was also a great change after all the turkey!

Quick Turkey Pot Pie

Owen loves these, and insists on having them when we have turkey leftovers. I usually make a couple and store some in the freezer for later (when I am not so tired of turkey). This is the quick and simple way to make them, and it doesn't take long the through them together, but everyone seems to really like them! Owen took one to his work potluck and everyone enjoyed it.

Note that this recipe works well all year if you use chicken meat instead of turkey. You can cook a couple chicken breasts (and dice) are use leftovers from a roast chicken.

Turkey Pot Pie (makes 1 pie)
Ingredients:
Pie shell (for a double crust pie)
1 can cream soup (I usually use mushroom, but broccoli and chicken also work well)
Diced cooked turkey
Frozen veggie mix (or leftover veggies from turkey dinner)
Diced, cooked potatoes (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix the cream soup, turkey, veggie mix, potatoes and cheese.
2. Roll out pie shell and line the pie plate. Pour in the filling and top with the top crust.
3. Pinch the edges together, and cut vents in the top of the pie ( I do 4 slits).
4. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes until the crust is cooked. (if you would like a golden pie top, brush with some oil or egg whites before baking).

Reviews:
Owen loves these and they get made with both turkey and chicken leftovers! It only takes a few minutes to pull together, which is great.

Roast Rice Milanese

I got this recipe out of the Companies Coming Rookie Cookbook. It is delicious, and I have played a little with it to make it a little more versatile. This recipe is great and it is what I always plan for the day after having roast for supper.

I have made this and had it turn out great with both beef and venison. Also instead of using roast leftovers, I have finely chopped stew chunks and fried the small chunks.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 small onion (finely chopped)
¼ cup margarine (Don’t use butter, it will brown too fast)
1 cup meat, coarsely chopped (beef, venison, moose roast or fried stew meat)
2 ½ cups water
1 tbsp beef bullion
¼ tsp pepper (Owen likes a little more, go with what you like)
1 tbsp Parsley flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
*. If using stew chunks or other uncooked meat, fry them until cooked in a fry pan on medium high heat. You can either remove them when cooked or leave them to cook a little with the rice and onion.
1. Combine the rice, onion and margarine in a fry pan over medium high heat and sauté until the rice and onion have a golden colour.
2. Add the meat, water, beef bullion, pepper and parsley. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let simmer until the rice is tender (about 15 minutes).
3. Stir in the parmesan cheese and serve.

Reviews:
I like this as a quick meal and it is one of Owen’s favorite. When I first started making this dish, he asked for it at least once a week and I had to double the recipe when I made it.

I like to put some roast leftovers chopped and measured into the freezer, then I can thaw it as I brown the rice and supper is done in 20 minutes!