Meat Lovers Shepherd’s Pie

We love pizza. And we also love mashed potatoes.

And I love coming up with new ways to combine recipes that are already favorites.

It just couldn’t go wrong, you know?

Piles of sweet, savory and spicy meat, juicy tomatoes, garlic and tomato sauce covered in garlic mashed potatoes and topped with cheese? You’ve got to be kidding me. It was a winner before I even started.

One of the best things about this dish is how easy it is to hide extra vegetables in. I mean, when you’ve got so much flavour from the meat and all that sauce, mashed potatoes and cheese, a few vegetables are hardly noticeable.

My other favorite thing? The total flexibility.

I love recipes that don’t really require exact measurements. I’ve given you the measurements I used, but if you want to double up on the meat, or swap something out for another favorite, or add in a bunch more veggies? You totally can.

It’s the perfect hearty, comforting meal for fall or winter. And the perfect game day meal for those meat-loving, football-watching guys (or gals!) you’ve got coming over to watch the game.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4-5 servings

Creamy garlic mashed potatoes and cheese top a seriously meaty filling -- perfect for fall or game day!

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• 3/4 cup diced pepperoni
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian spices, drained
• Optional: mushrooms, peppers, shredded carrots or other veggies
• 8 medium potatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Optional: green onion for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an oven-safe dutch oven or cast iron pan (I used my 12" cast iron skillet), cook bacon, sausage (crumbled) and onion until meat is browned.
3. Meanwhile, start your potatoes boiling in salted water. Boil 8-10 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.
4. To the meat, add in oregano and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add in ham, pepperoni, spinach, tomato sauce, tomatoes and any other vegetables and cook until hot. Turn off the heat.
5. Drain potatoes and mashed with butter, milk, garlic powder and bouillon(optional -- I just like the flavour it gives!). Spread on top of meat in skillet or dutch oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbling around the sides. Top with cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes until melted and starting to brown. Serve.

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