Shepherd's Pie

Aunt Barb (Cooking Light Magazine)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups baking potatoes, peeled
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds ground round
• vegetable cooking spray
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Worchestershire
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 14.5 oz can whole tomato, drained, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Instructions

Simmer potatoes till tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Add milk and next 3 ingredients and mash. Set aside. (You could use left-over mashed potatoes here OR instant mashed potatoes.)

Brown meat; drain; set aside. Wipe drippings from skillet and coat with cooking spray. Heat pan, add carrot and next 3 ingredients; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Return meat to skillet. Add Worchestershire sauce and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Combine flour and water, stirring with wire whisk. Add to meat mixture; stir well. Stir in peas.

Spoon meat mixture into a 3 quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon potatoes over meat; spread to edges. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes.

I like to season the meat and vegetables with salt and pepper as I cook them. This tastes really good the next day, too!