Shepherdless Pie...

A version of this was served to my book club a while back - it was really a hit, too.  I asked for the recipe and what I got was 2 recipes that had been combined - one is called Waldorf Astoria Beef Stew - (click on the highlight to find a recipe very close to the one I was given.)  The other recipe was for mashed potatoes.  The Waldorf Astoria Beef Stew recipe was hand-written and the ingredients listed didn't have exact amounts - the instructions were a little vague, too...my favorite kind of recipe!

I used my crockpot to cook the stew portion of this meal - threw everything in, turned it on, and forgot about it for 4 hours.  I LOVED how this turned out - could have eaten it just like it was but I resisted....and set about making the mashers.  I also used my new ricer...what a great gadget!  I have an old ricer, belonged to my Grandma, but it's a little cumbersome and much harder to use - this new one is a snap - load, press and riced potatoes - sans lumps!    

Once the potatoes are riced, add sour cream and some butter, or for you purists/waist watchers, maybe just a pinch of salt and pepper?  At this point I now had several hours invested in this meal....even though the meat was in the crockpot - I'm counting those hours...and then there was the peeling, cutting and cooking of the potatoes - another hour...so I needed to speed things up a bit - a short cut was in order...instead of cooking carrots, peas, corn or other veggies in with the meat (which you certainly could do) I chose not to do this because I wanted the veggies to still have some color - so instead I used frozen veggies and zapped them in the microwave right before I assembled the "pie."  

I used a 9 x 13-inch pan - you could use a deep-dish pie plate, too.  Spread the potatoes in the pan, top with veggies, spoon on the meat and the sauce.  I didn't add the customary pie-crust topping, didn't feel the need, but if you do, go for it!  Stick this baby in the oven for 20 minutes, just so it's heated through then serve.  Or, if your mister is late coming home, cover it with foil and stick it in the refrigerator.  When he arrives, tell him to fix his own dinner - he can scoop out what he wants and reheat it in the microwave....or if that's too complicated for him, he can have cereal!

Shepherdless Pie - Adapted from Waldorf Astoria Beef Stew (Thanks to Chris Jones!)

1 1/2 pounds sirloin stew meat

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced Crimini mushrooms

4 Tablespoons oatmeal*

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 can (10 oz.) Tomato soup

1 soup can water

1 1/2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

10 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks and cooked until soft

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

1 package (16 oz.) frozen vegetables

Using a crockpot, put in meat, onions, celery, oatmeal*, sugar, salt, pepper, soup, water and Worcestershire sauce; stir to combine.  Put on lid and turn setting to high.  Leave lid on for 4 hours.  In the meantime, cook potatoes.  Using a ricer or a masher, mash them up.  Stir in sour cream and butter.  Set aside.  Place frozen vegetables in a microwaveable safe container and cook according to package directions.  Set aside. 

To assemble:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 9 x 13-inch pan, spread potatoes on the bottom.  Top potatoes with vegetables.  Spoon meat and sauce over vegetables.  Bake in 350 degree oven, covered with foil for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. If not serving right away, cover with foil and keep refrigerated.  When ready to serve, place in 350 degree oven, foil cover on, for 35 minutes or until heated through.

*About the oatmeal...I have always used oatmeal in my meatloaf and as a thickener for soups...the original recipe calls for tapioca - now that you have this new bit of information, do with it what you will!

Now that you see the finished product - I know what you're thinking....this is basically beef stew over mashed potatoes - why all the fuss?!  Well, it's not.  Think of it as a potato casserole covered with meat and veggies and an amazing sauce...a great comfort food...this also makes a great meal to take to someone who is under the weather - and it freezes great, too!