Shepard's Pie

We made leg of lamb using this recipe (you MUST make this, it's wonderful!!) for my parent's last meal here. It was over 5 pounds, so there were plenty of leftovers. Leftover lamb just isn't good, it's gamey, chewy and, well, just not good. Trust me here. We also had asperagus and mashed potatoes. So, what do you do with leftover asperagus, lamb and mashed potatoes???

It's screaming Shepard's Pie!

I started off by taking the juice (jus?) from the roast and bringing it to boil in a sauté pan.
Warning: the following pictures may not be pretty, but the end result is tasty!

Scoop out a couple ladles full of broth into a container (I used a measuring cup, but you could use anything). Spoon in a couple tablespoons of flour. Mix very well, till there are no chunks whatsoever. Use a fork or whisk to mix. If you don't get the lumps out now, you will have lumpy gravy!

Pour flour mixture back into boiling broth, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth and thickened.

Like I said, it's not pretty. Be sure to taste your gravy for seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Dump meat and veggies into an oven-proof container, the amount is to your liking. You could use a regular baking dish, but I'm always looking for ways to use this pretty dish. Mix in the gravy.

Layer the top with the mashed potatoes. I used my hands to get it all over the top. Of course I don't have a shot of what it looked like after all the potatoes on the top, but you can use your imagination, I'm sure.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 or 425 for about 30 minutes.

Again, not pretty, but so, so tasty!! If you use the crockpot lamb and use plenty of seasonings like Stephanie says, you're golden.

Skillet Hash

I really need to find a better name for this one, but for now, there it is: Skillet Hash. And it's not mushy or bland, like the name might imply. On the contrary: it's crispy and moist all at the same time, spicy if you want it, seasoned well no matter what. This guy has really come along way since the first day I made it. Back when I had to follow the recipe I clipped out of advertisement section of some magazine. The basics were established and we took off on it. Adam will eat and eat and eat this meal till there is none left, but on the off chance you do have some left, it also reheats well in a skillet.

The meal I usually make is as follows. If you want tonights meal, which is fairly different due to lack of ingredients and other evening mishaps, scroll down a bit.

What you need:

2-3 Tbs butter
2-4 potatoes, depending on the size (you can use any type here)
smoked sausage link (I must be on a sausage kick, blame the weather), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
frozen mixed veggies, if you have them, about 1 cup
salt and pepper
paprika
Parmesan cheese

Get your skillet hot on medium heat and melt the butter. Throw in the potatoes, give them a stir, salt and pepper, and put a lid on it. Stir every so often (about every 10 minutes or so), checking to make sure they're not burning, but you want them nice and brown.



After the potatoes have been in there for about 20 minutes, throw in the sausage, give a stir and sprinkle some more salt in there (this dish needs salt, just shake it on) and paprika. Add the veggies and stir. Leave the lid off and let cook for 10-15 minutes, until the sausage and veggies are getting nice and brown too. Taste and add more salt if needed.

When veggies are cooked through, shred on the Parmesan and dish up.

Now, tonight, as I hinted at earlier, did not go as planned. The chicken for my skillet chicken meal (not related to sausage hash) wasn't thawed as I had intended. A quick peek into the fridge showed me a sausage link. Thus, sausage hash was on it's way! I only had 2 red potatoes but a sack full of purple potatoes from my friend Penny's garden was in the pantry (I love purple potatoes!). Also, when I went to reach for the frozen veggies, there were none, only a sack of frozen corn. So! Here's what happened, and it turned out great, if I do say so myself, which I just did.

I did the potatoes, sausage and corn just like above (no paprika). I left out the cheese, added fresh tomatoes and sliced green onions. It was great!

Then I walked out to take a mediocre picture of the moon....

....I'm still learning my new camera, ok? When I got back to the table, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the final result. So here it is, with a lot less in the skillet than began. In the time it took to replace my lens cap, it was gone.

Sausage Corn Chowder

I don't know where she found this recipe, but it's from my mom. This soup is a huge hit with my entire extended family. It's creamy, filled with the goodness of sausage and potatoes. Perfect for autumn, paired with a crisp salad, bread and a glass of milk.

What you need:

1 pound sausage
3 potatoes, cubed and boiled (~20 minutes separately)
1 (11oz.) can evaporated milk (OR, I used equivalent amount of 2%)
1 can kernel corn*
1 can cream corn*
Tabasco, just a dash or to your liking
salt, to taste

*I don't like the taste of canned corn, so I used about 2-3 cups frozen for both of these. You don't have quite as much liquid, so add some water or more milk to the soup after it's all mixed together.

In a large soup pot, brown the sausage (you can add some onion if you want, but we have onion issues here at my house, so I sometimes use onion powder). Add the cooked potatoes, milk, corn and Tabasco. Stir it all up and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 30 minutes. Taste to add salt, sometimes sausage can be really salty, so I add it after about 15 minutes of cooking time.

Enjoy!

Check back here periodically, I'll be adding pictures as I make these things again. I never remember to take them while I'm making them!