Potashema

I can’t stand winter! I do not like to be cold; the days are too short and shoveling just plain sucks. To top it all off I live on a snowmobile trail and am so sick of listening to them that I have come up with some very clever ways of eliminating them from my life. Anyway it’s no surprise that so many people get the winter blues and start looking for ways to perk up their mood. There are many things that you can do to pull yourself out of the dumps, take a vacation (there is a reason Spring Break falls in March), go out regularly with friends, start shopping for your spring wardrobe (my personal favorite), start a new exercise program or make some comforting food. Everyone has a favorite comforting meal, for me its Shepherd’s Pie; I like the fact that all aspects of my meal are in one dish but still retain their own textures and flavors. (I don’t like stews because everything tastes the same and the vegetables are mushy, yuck). After a little research I discovered that this dish originated in eighteenth century Britain after explorers returned from the new world with potatoes. (Contrary to popular belief potatoes are not originally from Ireland, they just really like them). Shepherd’s Pie was created by peasant women looking for creative ways to use leftover meats and incidentally Shepherd’s Pie was originally made with lamb, if beef was used it was called Cottage Pie.

In my family we call the dish “Potashema” which is a bastardized way of pronouncing Pâté Chinois. The French-Canadian version is made by topping browned ground beef with a can of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of paprika. Not only does it sound bland, but also it tastes bland. My long-time friend KS still laughs about how when we were kids she would rather go home and eat a mustard and cheese sandwich than stay for my mother’s “Potashema”. I didn’t know any better at the time so I thought that it was good. I felt that way until my Scottish friend KB made her version for me; she mixed a can of British-style baked beans into her ground beef to add both moisture and flavor. Since then I have been on the hunt for great Shepherd’s Pie recipes; and what I have found is that you have to think outside the beef, gravy and potato box to get something truly tasty.

First I found a Rachael Ray (surprise surprise) recipe that used ground turkey and sweet potatoes; it looked interesting so I tried it and I loved it. Start by browning one and a half pounds of ground turkey with one diced onion and two stalks of celery diced, if so desired add some minced garlic. Once this is done, pour it into a baking dish then mix in a box of frozen mixed vegetables. In the same pan you browned the meat in make a quick gravy out of four tablespoons of butter melted with two tablespoons of flour (a roux), then whisk in one can of chicken stock, two teaspoons of poultry seasoning and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Once the gravy has come to a boil and thickened mix it into the turkey mixture. Please try making your own gravy because it is so easy and better tasting then the store-bought ones. Now let us talk potatoes; by all means if you want to mash the sweet potatoes from scratch then knock your socks off. Me, I found out that the grocery stores carry many different flavors of instant mashed potatoes, including sweet potato, bon jour! I know that it’s kind of hypocritical of me to suggest using a box mix when I just chastised you for using canned gravy, but honestly I really like them and they are way easier to smooth over the top of your pie. Anyway, when the potatoes are done add a few dashes of hot sauce to them and smooth over the turkey mixture, top this with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes. This Shepherd’s Pie tastes like Thanksgiving dinner; actually I like it better.

After making this version of Shepherd’s Pie I started thinking about other ground meat and potato combinations, and more specifically what I could do with the ground pork taking up space in my freezer. What I came up with was barbequed pork Shepherd’s Pie. Once again brown the pork with onions, celery and garlic. I use frozen mixed vegetables again because they are more nutritious than just corn. (Which by the way is not considered a vegetable!) Now instead of making gravy, I pour about half a bottle of barbeque sauce over the mixture; you want enough mixed in to make the meat moist and saucy. This time I broke out a box of roasted garlic mashed potatoes and then topped it all with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Once again, cook it at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. This dish reminds me of barbequed ribs but without the mess.

Or if you want a more sophisticated version try Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie. Sauté your ground beef with a few cloves of garlic and fresh mushrooms; add some pearl onions, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of thyme. Then mix in gravy made from a roux to which you add a half-cup of each red wine and beef broth. Top this with frozen baby peas and garlic-mashed potatoes. This version has all the classic ingredients but with a grown-up twist due to the wine and herbs added, try it you will love it. I also played with making a pie with the flavors of Buffalo wings. To do this follow the basic recipe I gave you but substitute ground chicken, buffalo sauce and plain potatoes with bleu cheese mixed in. I don’t add vegetables because I don’t think that there is a vegetable that I would want to eat mixed with buffalo sauce; just serve a salad with this dinner.

If you really want to think outside the box, try Taco Shepherd’s Pie. Make your beef filling according to a taco-seasoning package’s directions with diced onions. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with a can of refried beans, your taco beef, and a bit of taco sauce just to add moisture. Now, make up a batch of quick cooking polenta and spread that over the taco mixture. Cover the polenta with Mexican style shredded cheese and bake until golden brown. Serve this topped with fresh-diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. As you will learn in the future I am not a fan of tacos or Mexican food in most cases but this reincarnation is acceptable for consumption in my book.

There are an infinite amount of combinations you can use to jazz up your Shepherd’s Pie. (I didn’t even get to ground lamb and veal yet). A lot of dishes are easily enhanced once you master the basic recipe, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf are two examples I will write about in future columns. So lift yourself out of the winter doldrums and serve up a tasty plate of your favorite comfort food. Plus a satisfying meal like Shepherd’s Pie will fuel you for all of that shoveling. Ugh.


Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie

1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
4 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1½ cups chicken stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 box instant mashed sweet potatoes
Dash hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sauté first 4 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, add vegetables. Melt butter and mix in flour, cook for a minute. Add stock and Worcestershire and bring to boil, once thickened mix into meat. Make potatoes according to package directions, add a few dashes of hot sauce and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.



BBQ Pork Shepherd’s Pie

1½ lbs ground pork
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
1-cup BBQ sauce
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown first 4 ingredients, pour into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix in BBQ sauce. Make potato according to package directions and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.



Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie

1½ lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-cup mushrooms, sliced
½ bag frozen pearl onions
1 tsp Thyme
½ cup red wine
½ cup beef broth
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1 pkg frozen peas
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes

Sauté first 5 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, top with peas. Make a roux and add wine and broth to make gravy. Make potatoes according to package directions and smooth over top of meat mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.



Taco Shepherd’s Pie

1½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
½ cup taco sauce
1 pkg quick cooking polenta
1-cup Mexican style shredded cheese

Sauté first 3 ingredients then mix in taco sauce. Spread refried beans into bottom of a baking dish, top with meat mixture. Make polenta according to package directions and smooth over the meat mixture, top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.