fill me up, scotty!

(originally from may 3rd 2011.)

sheperd’s pie filled potatoes.

last night’s meal was all about filling things. as such, i asked my family to call me phil the whole day. for some reason they declined. 

just think about all of the great foods that are filled with something. stuffed crust pizza, doughnuts, pies. all things delicious and artery hardening, really.

being no stranger the fineness of filled foods, i was particularly drawn to a recipe for shepherd’s pie filled potatoes featured in rachael ray’s look & cook cookbook. also, despite my mediterranean appearance, i am of british heritage and have eaten and loved sheperd’s pie my whole life. in summary, this recipe and i were meant to be.

it’s a bit of a long one, but trust me, it’s worth it.

you start by baking potatoes covered in olive oil and salt at 400 degrees for an hour. 

let them cool down a bit so your hands don’t melt while you handle them. unless you’re a daredevil - then have at it. what you’ve got to do next is cut a thin slice off the top of each potato. you can discard these or give them to your hungry father for safekeeping.

next, scoop out the flesh of the potato. mmm flesh. 

but for the love of god, do NOT throw away the guts insides that you’ve scooped out. you’ll need that. i’ll tell you why when you’re older. 

you want to leave some flesh lining the potato, so you’re not left with a frail old woman potato skin. you’ve got to maintain its figure, giiiiirl. 

okay, you’re older. mash the flesh. HAHAHA! okay, that’s enough flesh jokes. but yes, mash it like you would regular old mashed potatoes. with some milk, butter and a bit of salt. next, mix in some chopped chives, garlic and bacon to them. cue the mouth watering.

rachael ray’s recipe calls for some concoction that features mashed potatoes with red peppers, paprika and sour cream. but i wanted to keep things a bit more traditional. also, when weighing red peppers against bacon, the former really had no chance. bacon just makes everything better. it could and should be used to bring about world peace. anyways, i used about 6 strips for 8 potatoes, but you should always make extra bacon for snacking. ALWAYS.

okay, set aside all things potato and grab a deep skillet. 

in said skillet, combine a clove of chopped garlic, 1/2 a large onion and a pound of ground beef. brown it. twist it. pull it. bop it. or just brown it. 

next, add any vegetable your little heart desires. well, within reason. broccoli and brussel sprouts probably wouldn’t fit in this recipe. actually, come to think of it, shepherd’s pie has a very exclusive list of appropriate vegetables. sorry, broc. 

i added carrots and mushrooms, then let that cook for about 10 minutes, then added some frozen peas and canned corn. i beg you not to judge my processed produce. 

if you’re following along at home, kids, you’ll notice that things are getting a little moist in that pan. you’re going to want to drain some of the grease that’s accumulated. you can throw it away, donate it to your local mcdonald’s or slick your hair back. i strongly recommend option a, unless you’re stuck in the 50’s and going for the greaser look, then by all means, pick c.

then, season your meat. i used some worcestershire sauce (don’t worry if you can’t pronounce it, you can still use it), soy sauce, dijon mustard and some sally and pepperann. and that’s it!

here comes the fun filled factor of this food formula: filling your potatoes with the meat mixture. 

you’ll want the filling to be flattened on top in preparation for the next step: topping the meat with the mashed potatoes. 

lookin’ good, right? well, it gets better. take some of your favourite cheese and grate it. scatter it atop the marvelous creation you’ve just constructed. stand back and bask in its beauty. after you wipe away the tears of joy, stick these back in the oven for 5 minutes with your broiler on high. 

if you have any leftovers, make a regular shepherd’s pie for your father’s lunch the following day. next, win best offspring of the year award.

then serve alongside the secret beans featured earlier in the blog. 

the reviews: 

marie bilius ryan - “better than hot dogs.” you’re a man of few words, marie. but each one is more flattering than the last. high praise, indeed. many thanks.

papa smurf - “it was like being in england. kate and william should have served this at their wedding.” he really enjoyed it. he ate it for dinner last night, for lunch today and again for dinner tonight. oh, delicious repetition. 

mama bear - “it was fan-friggin’-tastic. it was delicious in itself, but the fact that i didn’t have to cook tonight was the mashed potatoes on the meat filling. like icing on the cake….” oh lizard, you slay me. 

this recipe is great, or as rachael ray might exclaim YUM-O! it’s a long one, but when you get to the filling part, it’s fun. and hey, it looks pretty good on a plate too. all in all, a great start to a summer of good eats. 

up next, dessert! 

to be continued…

*photo credzzzz to marie bilius ryan.