Shepherdess Pie

After making runzas (see previous blog), I had some leftover filling to use up.  Oh, what to do with beef!? (So many options!)  I had some potatoes, too, so it looked like a variation on Shepherd's pie.  So, here's a version for one person, using pre-cooked meat.  Quick and easy.


Shepherdess Pie
~3/4 C leftover runza filling
1 potato
3 Tbsp half-and-half


Preheat your oven (or toaster oven, if you've got one of those) to 375˚F.

Peel and chop the potato, throw it in a pot, cover it with water, and add some salt.  Bring it to a boil and cook it until you can easily poke the potatoes with a fork.  (The amount of time with vary based on how  big the chopped potato pieces are.)  Drain the water, add the half-and-half, and mash the potato, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  If you have some butter or margarine, it never hurts to throw that in, too, but you don't necessarily need it.

Put the leftover runza filling into a ramekin, and spoon the potato over the top, making sure to press it up against the rim, sealing a neat edge.  This is super-easy if you use a scraper (rubber spatula) to spoon the potatoes, because you can just drag it across the edge of the ramekin, both sealing the edge and getting all of the potato off the scraper.  Pop your ramekin into the oven for about 15 minutes, until the top is just slightly golden-brown, and everything is warmed through.  TA-DA!





It's been a while since I actually made the variant described and photographed here.  However, I do make little 1-person shepherd's pies fairly often.  Other variations to consider include cheesy potatoes, different veggies in with your beef, and the addition of seasonings, such as an Italian herb blend or a steak seasoning. Experiment; you only need at most 1/4 pound of hamburger.  
Also, if you have more leftover meat and/or a large potato, you may want to make 2 of these little pies.  You can keep them unbaked in the fridge, and then when you want to eat it, it only takes as long as you need to heat up your [toaster]oven and cook it.