Tasty Tuesday: Deconstructed Shepherd's Pie

After a jam-packed weekend at a Jewelers' Conference in California (more on this to come), I have to admit to being l-a-z-y the last two days. So, when dinner time arrived tonight, I changed what I had planned to cook. That's life and flexibility for you!

This recipe is based on a favorite family recipe that I love, love, love! However, this is different enough to taste like a separate yummy dish.

Deconstructed Shepherd's Pie

1 hamburger patty per person

1 can of tomato soup per every four patties

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsp Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb (or what you have on hand)

Enough potatoes to mashed for your family

A family sized portion of your favorite green vegetable

Sounds simple, right? You would be correct! The only difficult part of this meal is really the timing. Be sure to remember to cook your vegetable or you might end up waiting on them before you can eat. I speak from experience!

First thing first, gather your ingredients. I was cooking for three people, so I have three hamburger patties and one can of soup. For the mashed potatoes, I used five small potatoes.

I chopped my potatoes into chunks after washing and scrubbing the skins. I decided I didn't want to peel them this time. I plopped them into a pot of water and boiled them till fork tender.

Meanwhile, I cooked the patties over high medium heat (On my stove, that is 8 on the dial). When they are frozen, I can only fit two in the pan at once; however, they shrink as the cook. I put the third patty into the pan once I turned these two over- just after this picture.

When the patties are done cooking, remove them from the pan and place in paper towels to remove excess grease.

Lower the burner temp to low. Add the soup to the drippings in the pan to deglaze. I scraped the bottom of the pan a little to soften the drippings. At this point, add your seasoning and Worcestershire Sauce, stirring to combine. The color will darken.

When everything is combined, place the patties back and spoon sauce on top of each patty to keep moist. Cover with a lid and let sit for a few minutes on low.

Drain your potatoes, add butter and milk to taste. Mash until smooth.

This is the final plating. It was quite good. My vegetables were a little undercooked because I forgot to start them on time, but everything else was tasty.

Enjoy!