B. A. Gourmet Favorite: Shepherd's Pie

Want to know how to turn $10 into a home-cooked, satisfying meal for 4-5 people? The answer, my friends, is shepherd's pie. I've checked with Webster and this is the definition of comfort food: meat and veggies smothered in mashed potatoes and cheese. Make sure to take note of this recipe; it's a winner!

Ingredients:

1 lb of Ground Turkey

1 Bag of Frozen Mixed Vegetables (16 ounces, more or less)

1 Packet of Instant Mashed Potatoes (enough for approximately 4 servings)

Shredded Cheese*

1 Onion

Parsley

Steps/Analysis:

The first objective is to get the mashed potatoes underway. It's not going to matter if they end up sitting around for a little while, but if you put it off until the end it's going to slow things up a bit. Follow the instructions on the packet/box, but be prepared to have milk, butter, and a sauce pan on hand.

When the potatoes no longer require your undivided attention, put a large pan over medium-high heat. Dice up an onion (depending on the size and your own personal taste, you may only want a half) and start sauteing with a little olive oil. After a couple minutes, add the ground turkey to the pan. Break it up into roughly bite-size pieces with a large spoon or spatula, salt and pepper liberally, and cook until no longer pink. Then, drain off the liquid and return to the stove.

Next, add your veggies, straight from the freezer. Use your best judgment. 16 ounces is probably too much, but it was the most conveniently sized bag at my grocery store. The end result shouldn't be more vegetables than meat, so put any extra back in the freezer. I'm sure you'll find a use for it later. Stir to thoroughly incorporate everything and drop the temperature down to low. You may want to cover the pan with a lid to help the vegetables heat through.

Once that occurs, chop up a small handful of parsley. Add that and a couple handfuls of shredded cheese and stir.

*I didn't specify what type of cheese to use because, in my estimation, it doesn't really matter. The recipes I looked at for reference called for cheddar, but there was a bag of Mexican Mix already in my fridge (as is often the case), so I subbed it in. It worked out fine. I also left the amount vague because people can be particular about cheese.

When the cheese is melted, carefully scoop the contents of your pan into a large casserole dish. Spread it out into a single, even layer and do the same with your potatoes - directly on top of the meaty, cheesy goodness. Sprinkle another handful of cheese on top of the potatoes as well as a little more parsley.

Place the casserole onto the top rack of the oven for 10-15, or until the top layer is just a little crispy.

Serving/Notes:

Side dishes are completely unnecessary. Everything you could possibly want in a meal is in the pie. Shovel out generous portions, add a little salt and pepper, and dig in.

Really, I couldn't be happier with the outcome of this recipe. I might play around with different spices/herbs in future iterations, but otherwise I can't imagine more bang for your buck. This will easily serve four people and (depending on how your supplies are packaged in the grocery store) you may have almost enough supplies to do it all over again.

Shepherd's pie stores and reheats beautifully too. If you're only cooking for yourself, prepare for delicious lunches and left-over dinners for a good three or four days to come.

Mediterranean Chicken Paninis

For Christmas, the lady in my life gave my family a panini press. I can no longer imagine life without one. There's no easier way to make a sandwich taste gourmet. I've made breakfast, lunch, and dinner paninis. My latest adventure into the world of toasted sammiches is the Mediterranean Chicken Panini.

Ingredients:

4 Large Pieces of Round Flatbread

2 Packages of Purdue Short-Cuts Sliced Chicken Breasts

1/2 Medium-sized Onion

1 Small Container of Red Pepper Hummus

1 Small Can of Sliced Black Olives

2 Tomatoes

Mozzerella Cheese

Basil

Steps/Analysis:

Start by cutting your onion into thin slices and sauteeing them in a large pan with some olive oil. Before they're quite done, open up your Purdue Short-Cuts and throw them in as well. The sandwiches are going to be pretty thick and you want and you want the end result to be warm and melty, so it's a good idea to take the refrigerator chill off of the chicken.

In the meantime, cut the flatbread rounds in half. Each round is going to make one panini. Also, cut your tomatoes and cheese as thinly as you can manage.

For the basil, I attempted a chiffonade - a knife technique that I've seen on Food Network a few times, but never tried myself. Basically, stack a bunch of basil leaves one on top of the other and roll them up. Then, make small slices across the cylinder. You should have tiny strips of basil, but don't worry too much if your first try at the maneuver isn't too pretty. It's going to be covered in cheese anyway.

Spread the hummus across one flatbread half and sprinkle with olives. Spoon on enough chicken and onions to make a hearty sandwich on top of that. Next, layer on basil and tomato and, finally, the mozzarella cheese. Cover with the second flatbread half and carefully load it into the heated panini press. There should be enough supplies for four sammiches.

Serving:

Though this is a thick, hearty panini, it's not quite enough to make a meal on it's own. I paired it with some Progresso Italian Wedding soup, which complemented things nicely.

When all is said and done, this dinner took me 20 minutes from start to finish. The payoff is definitely worth the minimal time investment and you may even have left overs for lunch the next day.