Keeping Warm In The Snow

The snow came early this year and it's been an unusually cold November. What better way to stay warm than to curl up with a nice blanket and a plate of scrumptious shepherd's pie.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

black pepper to taste

3/4 cup chicken stock (only required if using ground beef)

1 can corn

4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

STEPS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For extra light and fluffy mashed potatoes, rinse the potatoes under cold water then steam the potatoes in a colander over boiling water or in a steaming basket for 10 minutes. Then rinse the potatoes under cold water again until the potatoes are cold. Return them to steam for another 10 minutes or until fork-tender. (Rinsing the potatoes after they have cooked for a few minutes removes the starch that makes mashed potatoes so dense and heavy).
• If short on time or if you want to save yourself a bit of effort, place the potatoes into a deep microwave-safe dish and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Use the microwave button for potatoes or microwave for about 5 to 8 minutes or until fork-tender.
• Once potatoes are cooked, drain out any remaining water and mash the potatoes and butter together until smooth. Then add the milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper stirring until well-mixed.
• While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat and brown the ground beef or turkey with the onions. Sprinkle the garlic powder and thyme over the meat while it cooks.
• Once the meat has cooked, if using ground beef, drain the liquid, then stir in chicken stock and corn. If using ground turkey, just stir in the corn.
• To assemble, pour the meat mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, then sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. (We like it cheesy, so we slice up the cheese and put it right on top so it forms a crusty cheesy layer.)
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheese browns a bit and the mixture is bubbly.

Roasted Potatoes

Potatoes make a great side dish for almost any meal and can be prepared in many different ways. One of the easiest ways to prepare potatoes is to roast them and it's even more convenient if you're already going to be roasting something else in the oven like roast beef or a chicken.

Roasted Potatoes

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

3 medium-sized potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon ground or chopped dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon savory

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

STEPS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle the herbs on top of the potatoes.
• Stir the potatoes around to coat them in the oil and herbs, then spread them evenly on the pan in a single layer.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip the potatoes and bake for another 15 minutes or until the outside is crisp and lightly brown, but the inside is fork-tender.