By Felicia Welburn
Food has always been known as a symbolic aspect in life because it brings people together. As for me, shepherd's pie is one of the main dishes that meant the most to me. Why is that, you ask? When I was younger, shepherd's pie was only eaten during holidays and family get-togethers. As my sister and I got older, we would help my mother and father with the recipe and it was one of the ways that we all spent time together as a family. For some, Christmas would not have felt like Christmas if there was no snow, but for me, it's if it wasn't with shepherd's pie. It was the only way my sister and I would eat corn! Since it was my favorite meal, I would always beg my mother to make some just for me and my sister, but she would always decline my request. She kept mentioning that it was a traditional meal, plus she never enjoyed making it and she did not like the taste of shepherd's pie. Throughout the years, the meal remained as traditional as usual, but it gradually changed. I remember my mother would try to make me feel better when I was upset by asking me to help her make supper and she would take out the ingredients necessary for shepherd's pie. When she would call me over to make it with her, I would automatically turn my frown upside down and enjoy making dinner with my mother and sister and we would have family suppers. Ever since my mother started doing that, it has had more than one meaning to me. In conclusion it was just a heartwarming meal that would bring my family together. To this day, it is still my favorite of all time! :)
Recipe (for 5-6 people)
Ingredients
– 1 lb ground beef
– onions
– 1 can cream-style corn
– 7 potatoes
– butter or margarine
– salt and pepper
Procedure
- Brown and cook the ground beef with some onion, salt, and pepper.
- Boil the potatoes.
- Mashed the potatoes with butter or margarine, milk, salt, and pepper.
- In a baking dish, layer ground beef, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes (in that order). Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
In Quebec, shepherd's pie is often served with ketchup.
Photo source: http://blog.ordinaryrecipesmadegourmet.com/2009/02/nablopomo-day-16-shepherds-pie.html
