Shepherd's Pie

I am a huge fan of "Chopped" on Food Network. The creativity of those chefs and their ability to create amazing dishes with the strangest combination of ingredients is just amazing to me! Though I will never reach that level of culinary skill I decided to raid my cabinets the other day and see what kind of dish I could create, only allowing myself to use ingredients that I already had on hand. This is what I came up with and it turned out very well - my "resident chef" approved and that means a lot! Hope you enjoy!

1 lb. lean ground beef, browned and drained
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 10 3/4-oz. can beef broth
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Leseur small English peas
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1 packet instant mashed potatoes, prepared according to package directions (you could also make mashed potatoes from scratch if you prefer, but remember I only allowed myself to use ingredients that I already had on hand)
Salt, to taste

Melt butter in large skillet. Add flour and stir until lightly browned. This makes a roux, the thickening agent for your sauce.

Add a little bit of beef broth, then stir in onion soup mix and ketchup.

Add more beef broth, then stir in corn and peas.

Add remaining beef broth, Kitchen Bouquet, garlic powder and salt. Stir.

Stir in browned ground beef. Let this mixture simmer for a bit until it thickens slightly.

Pour this mixture into a 3-qt. casserole dish. Spoon prepared mashed potatoes over beef mixture.

Sprinkle shredded cheddar over top of potatoes.

Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes.