When I was growing up, my Mom always cooked very simple meals the week prior to any big holiday. One of the meals would be what she called "Shepherd's Pie". It may not have been a true shepherd's pie or the English version, but we children looked as forward to those meals as we did the big family dinners on Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. There would be lots of vegetables to be sure, and the desserts would be something as simple as Pound Cake. This is Mom's recipe for Shepherd's Pie.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder
• 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) green peas, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) carrot pennies, drained
• Mashed potatoes

Directions

Saute ground beef, celery and onion until meat is browned. Drain off fat and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to your taste. Spoon meat mixture into bottom of lightly greased 2-3 quart casserole. Spread drained vegetables over meat. Add mashed potatoes over vegetables. Bake at 375 degrees about 25-30 minutes. Place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes if top isn't browned enough to suit you. Serve with a tossed green salad and cornbread squares.

It wasn't often that we had canned vegetables in the house when I was a child, so the "canned" is my own touch. By all means, if you have fresh vegetables, the dish will be greatly improved, I think.

Enjoy.

By Julia from Orlando, FL