Paula Deen's Sheperds Pie!!!

Matt told me he was a fan of Shepherds Pie awhile back so for his birthday I went scouring the internet for a recipe!  I came across Paula Deen's version (who happens to be my cooking hero), which is a little bit different than the typical recipe, but its so delicious and easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 small onion

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables or niblet corn, prepared (I use the steam fresh corn!)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (fresh? I use the pepper in the cupboard)

8 to 10 medium red new potatoes (or 2 packages of instant potatoes for when you're in a hurry!)

1 1/2 cups milk

12 tablespoons butter (You know how Paula likes her butter!)

1/2 cup sour cream (for the potatoes)

2 cups instant biscuit mix

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 

2. Prepare Potato Layer: Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick.  Cook in boiling water for about 15 minutes or until fork-tender.  Whip potatoes with electric mixer; mix until moderately smooth.  Don't over beat them; a few lumps are nice.  Add 1/2 cup heated milk, 1/2 cup butter, and sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Whip until mixed.  Adjust thickness by adding more milk, if desired. 

3. While potatoes are boiling begin preparing Beef Layer: Saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter.  Add ground beef.  After beef is browned, add tomato sauce; mix in corn or veggies.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Biscuit Layer: Combine biscuit mix and 1 cup milk.  The mix should be thinner than normal biscuit mix but not runny.

5. Spray a 9x9x2 pan or any similar casserole dish.  Put potatoes down first.  Next spread the beef and corn mixture on top of the potatoes.  Pour biscuit mix over the meat.  Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over top.  Bake for about 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy! It's fantastic!  I do recommend getting a seasoned tomato sauce to give the meat mixture some flavor but the rest is fantastic the way it is!