Shepherd’s Pie

Dinner always sounds better when it’s got “pie” in the name, right? Now, technically, I know a pie is supposed to be served in a pie crust–and if you really wanted to, you could perfect a gluten-free pie crust to go along with this recipe. But I took the easy way out, and just started making it in a pan instead. And you know what? I think it’s better this way anyway.

Okay, that’s a lie. I liked it better the old way, full of delicious refined flours and sugars. But that’s just my neuroreceptors talking, pay them no mind. I do think this way is better than with a gluten-free pie crust, at least. My philosophy with this diet is that it’s almost always better to just avoid rather than replace. Less disappointment that way.

First, chop up an onion.

Next, we’re going to start making the gravy mix. I used to use a beef stew spice packet for this, but wouldn’t you know, there’s basically no such thing as a gluten-free spice packet. So we’ll just make our own. That’s 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. You can tell I use it all the time because it gets its own canister on my counter.

Then add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice. See how lazy I am, just eyeballing half a quarter teaspoon, instead of getting a new measuring spoon out? Sometimes I like to tell myself I’m just being more efficient, that’s all.

Now this is 1/8 teaspoon of paprika. I like to sprinkle more paprika on top of the dish to make it look pretty, but if your kids don’t like bright red speckles on their food, you could make it a 1/4 teaspoon here instead.

If you want to be all gourmet, you could boil actual potatoes and mash them yourself. I’m going with the instant flakes tonight. Lazy, lazy, lazy am I. So this is 2 2/3 cups water, 2/3 cup almond milk, 4 Tablespoons Fleischmann’s margarine, and 1 teaspoon salt, according to the directions on the Betty Crocker Potato Buds box. [As always, the brands I use were GFCF at the time of posting, but manufacturers can change formulas without notice. Always check your ingredient lists.]

Meanwhile, start sauteeing the onions in a little olive oil and breaking up 1 lb. ground beef in a large pan. I always use the extra lean beef so I don’t have to worry about draining off grease. Ew.

When the meat is starting to brown but not done yet, throw in about a cup of frozen vegetables. Peas and carrots are the more traditional Shepherd’s Pie ingredients, but corn and green beans were what I had on hand tonight. This is the kind of recipe that begs for random things to be tossed in, so go wild.

Once all the meat is cooked through and the veggies are warm, dump in the flour mixture and stir until everything is coated evenly.

Then start slowly adding water to the pan, stirring constantly. You want to add just enough to make a thick gravy, not a soup. It’s usually about a cup and a half, but don’t hold me to that.

Move the meat mixture into a greased 9×9 pan and smooth it out into a nice layer. Dump your prepared potatoes right on top.

Spread out the potato layer with the back of a spoon, just like you were putting frosting on brownies. Or, you know, on a pie. (Can a pie have frosting, you ask skeptically? I submit that a meringue pie does.)

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/8 tsp paprika if you’re into that sort of thing, then pop it in a 350 degree oven just long enough to warm everything through, about 15-20 minutes.

Happy Eating!

Crustless Shepherd’s Pie

1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose GF flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp paprika, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
about 6 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup frozen vegetables
1 1/2 cups water