mashed potatoes

This is the time of year when we kind of get into a “Winter Dish Rut” around here. I keep rotating the same things for dinner, and with the weather being cold I feel like they are all typically comfort food things like pasta, meatloaf, and chili.

I was flipping through cookbooks in the library recently though, and I saw a picture for Pot Roast, and realized that my kids had never had it before. They had kind of always had a disdain for beef until recently, so I thought it was about time I try something new in my Winter dinner repertoire. I made a Winter Pot Roast and served it over Mashed Potatoes.

I took all the things I love about pot roast, and made a recipe I thought my family and I would like. And I left out all the things I hate about old fashioned pot roast like soggy potatoes, and overcooked veggies.

The recipe seems long, but I promise the results are so delicious that the subtle changes and additions to the recipe won’t bother you after your first bite!

So, here is my version of Pot Roast.

Winter Pot Roast over Mashed Potatoes (makes 6-8 large servings)

For Pot Roast
1 2 1/2 to 3 pound beef roast
4 or 5 large carrots peeled and cut into half
3 stalks celery cut into chunks
1 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 or 2 dried bay leaves
1 32 oz box beef stock (I used low sodium)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp olive oil
1 TBS of butter
1 10 oz package frozen peas (2 bags if you like a lot of peas like my kids)

For Mashed Potatoes
1 5 pound bag of yukon gold potatoes peeled
4 TBS unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste

For Sauce (Optional Last Minute Addition)
2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Flour
A few ladles of beef stock drippings from slow cooker

Roast: In a slow cooker, make a bed of carrots, celery, and onion. Add the thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat add olive oil and butter. Coat roast in flour, salt and pepper.

Sear the roast on all sides (about 3-5 minutes on each side) until a crust is formed.

When roast is done searing, remove from pan and put in slow cooker. With pan on medium heat add a bit of the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to get drippings. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. Add the rest of the beef broth from the box. Turn on the slow cooker on high, cover. Cook for 6 hours or until beef is fork tender.

When beef is done, remove it from slow cooker and put it into a large dish. Shred with a fork and cover.

Prepare frozen peas to package directions and add to shredded roast.

Potatoes: In a large pot add potatoes and cover with water. Put on medium heat and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for about 15 minutes or until just tender.

Drain the potatoes and add back into the pot. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher.

Optional Sauce: In a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter. When the butter is melted whisk in flour. After about 1 or 2 minutes, flour will be dissolved, ladle in remaining beef juices from slow cooker. You may add as much as you want until desired consistency is formed making sure to stir consistently.

For a serving, in a bowl, make a bed of potatoes, add beef & peas, cover with sauce or just ladle some of the beef stock from the slow cooker. (My little ones preferred everything served separately on their plate, but they ate every bite just the same.)

I am already looking forward to making this again, hopefully next time for guests.

I hope your family loves this as much as we did.

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In the wake of last night’s presidential debate I thought I would make a controversial dish around here. For dinner, I made Rachael Ray’s Smokey Turkey Shepherd’s Pie. There has been some speculation, however, if it technically shepherd’s pie or is it cottage pie.

According to Food.com, Shepherd’s Pie is an English dish that is typically made with a layer of minced lamb, vegetables, and gravy and then topped with mashed potatoes sometimes topped with cheese. Cottage Pie is made the same way, but with minced beef. So, now that you have the facts, technically a “pie” made with ground turkey is neither. I thought it might be fun to call it Fowl Pie, but that doesn’t sound good at all. So, for now I will refer to it as Turkey Pie.

This is another Rachael Ray recipe that is an Autumn staple in our home. The kids like the mashed potato top, and Brian likes everything else. The only change I have made is that I added a little shredded cheese to the top of the mashed potatoes because my kids love cheese.

Here is the recipe I retyped from the Food Network Website.

3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market
Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, beaten
10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and thyme. When turkey browns up, add: onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook flour 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine. Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high.

When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg. Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

I hope you enjoy it no matter what you call it.

Tag

Winter Pot Roast over Mashed Potatoes

The REAL Debate: Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie?