Ahh, meat sauce.  The bane of anyone who had an Italian grandmother (or worked at a good Italian restaurant).  They can never settle for a jar of Ragu…it is just unsatisfying.  At the restaurant I worked at, we would start from scratch and make our sauce.  It took ALL DAY.  I just don’t have that sort of time.  Here’s my 1/2hour sauce that tastes almost as good as what “Mama” used to make.

Hardware:

• Saucepan with enough room to hold your sauce
• Lid
• Stirring implement

Software:

• Jar of tomato sauce that you like. Personally, I go with Prego as that is what I grew up with
• 1lb of ground meat for every 3 people you want to feed. I like ground beef
• 1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes – per jar of sauce.  I like Redpack seasoned kind. They bring flavor to the party.
• 1/2 of an onion, diced – per jar of sauce
• 3-8 cloves of garlic, minced -To taste.  If you dont have fresh, use some powder.
• Spices – oregano, basil, marjoram, bay leaves -> basically anything “Italian”.
• Optional: Italian sausage, beer

Start off by browning and cooking your meat(s) in your saucepan. The goal is to break your ground meat up into bitesized chunks.  Once browned, drain/pour off almost all of the grease. Add your diced onion and minced garlic and cook until soft.  Looking to get most of the flavor out, but not make it mush.  Now add your spices and diced tomatoes. Stir and make sure everything is well mixed then add your jar of sauce.  Bring this up to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.  Simmer for at least half an hour, but you can let it go as long as you want really. Serve over pasta or however you would like to use meatsauce.

This meatsauce brings a “slow cooked” flavor to your meal without the effor that entails.  By cooking your meat and onions in the same pot as you simmer your sauce, you are sure to get all of the goodness they leave on the bottom of the pot into the sauce.

This sauce is also very easy to vary.  Try different meats or add a beer for a different flavor.  One variant that easily comes to mind is an “El Diablo” sauce.  Try adding some diced green chilis (canned or fresh), crushed red pepper flake, and some of your favorite hot sauce.

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Mmm Shepherd’s Pie. Greasy, meaty, starchy food designed to fill you up fast and pack as much into a serving as possible to keep you going. Better yet, its cheap to make. Thus, it makes it a PERFECT food for my household. Check the recipe below:

Hardware:

• Skillet or saucier of some form – I used a non-stick saucier that I use for almost everything but if you have cast iron..USE IT!
• Pot large enough to boil potatoes in preferably with a lid
• Casserole dish – big enough to hold chosen amount of meat + veggies + potatoes
• Knife – SHARP is key
• Cutting board – your veggie one
• Stirring implement of some form
• Optional: Veggie peeler

Software:

• Ground beef – 1.5 lbs to 2lbs depending on how many you plan to feed. 1.5lbs makes a good 4 servings. You want some with a decent fat content, if it is too lean you won’t be able to make a good gravy.
• Frozen veggie mix – mine had corn, lima beans, peas, green beans, and carrots.
• Potatoes – suitable for mashed potatoes
• 2 x Brown Gravy mix pouches (I used the off brand)
• 2 tablespoons(ish) of white flour
• Margarine or butter
• Milk
• Shredded cheese
• Spices: Salt, pepper, onion flake, garlic powder
• Optional: celery, sweet potatoes, any other veggie you would like

The process:

This really couldn’t be simpler. Fill your pot with water and get it boiling (Use your LID!). As it’s boiling, chop your potatoes. We’re turning these into mashed potatoes, so I’ll leave the size up to you. Add the potatoes to the boiling water with a bit of salt and let boil until mashable. Drain. Mash, adding butter/margarine to taste and milk/cream for texture. Some people add a bit of egg white to them to make them brown better, but I don’t, your call.

While your potatoes are boiling (or after if you are like me and get caught up in the mashed potatoes process) get your skillet on the fire. Add your ground beef and spices. Brown this, breaking it up into good mouth sized chunks. Not looking for fully broken up, leave some big pieces. Texture is king here. After the meat is done, scoot the meat to one side and give it a bit of a tilt. See that grease/fat that has drained into the empty part? That’s gravy right there. Normally folks take and throw that out..its fat and bad for you. Never said this recipe was good for you. Simply do some extra jumping jacks after.

Add one pack of gravy mix to that fat pool and stir the beejesus out of it. This is not the recommended method to make this gravy, but it works so do it! After it has fully dissolved/gratified, add the second pack. Once again, stir like hell. If you aren’t using a good nonstick pan, I suggest hitting it with a whisk. If there still isn’t a good gravy going there, add in the flour a half tablespoon at a time and whisk. Use your better judgment, just looking to turn this grease into a sauce to coat the meat. Once satisfied, stir the whole mess together (meat and gravy). Now’s the time to add your veggies. You remembered to nuke them, right? No? Well, go microwave them. DON’T ADD THEM FROZEN, they won’t cook. Once they are warmed through, add them to the meat mix. How much veggies you ask? Use your own judgment, I tend to go with a cup or cup and a half or so. Gotta offset that fatgravy with some greenery.

Now, for the grand finish. Put your meat in the bottom of your casserole dish. Spoon your mashed potatoes on top, looking for about a 1-2″ layer here. Add a coating of shredded cheese (if you’re feeling particularly unhealthy bacon is also DELICIOUS here) and stick it in a 350 degree oven. After the cheese is fully melted, I tend to crank the heat up to the broiler to get it nice and crisp.

Voila…instant casserole. This tends to be a crowd pleaser, has a lot of favorite foods in it. It is also very filling.

Leftovers store/freeze well and revive just fine in the microwave. Take the leftovers into work with you, and make the whole office smell good when you nuke it.

There are also lots of ways to change this recipe up and vary the tastes and textures. I love to chop up a rib or two of fresh celery and add it to the meat mix. Others suggest making your mashed potatoes with some sweet potatoes/yams in the mix. One could also vary the meat; try it with ground lamb or turkey or some mix therein. Spices are also very variable. Garlic and onion are classic, but maybe a tex-mex shepherd’s pie would make it on your table?

Got your own shepherd’s pie recipe or a great idea for a variation? Tried this and love it (or hate it)? Leave a comment, I’ll definitely respond to you.

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