The main idea behind this recipe is to take the concept of a shepherds pie and stuff it into a potato. I love shepherd's pie, but the mashed potatoes are such a pain. And then the pie part always bubbles through the mashed potatoes leaving your oven dirty ... not the easiest meal to cook. This recipe makes it easier because you just bake the potato, carve it out, stuff it, and then top with the soft-baked mashed potato goodness. Top with more cheese and sour cream, bacon bits and chives - I'm sure the Irish won't judge. Unless you forgot the whisky. I'm sure a Guinness would be a suitable substitute as well.
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| Yummy potato goodness - yes I'm Irish, can you tell? I love potatoes! |
I also recommend this as a great week night meal of - throw everything in the skillet, cook while microwaving the potatoes (so much less time than baking), carve, stuff, top, and serve! I like having just one half of the whole potato (pictured above) and I take the other half, wrap in foil, and there's lunch or dinner for later in the week! Ok, ok, so you want to make these. I'll keep you no longer! Here's the recipe I wrote up after making it tonight:
Quick Stuffed Potato Shepherd’s Pie - Week Night Meal
Description: This quick to cook meal can be prepped earlier in the week to enjoy for the next few nights or warmed up for lunches - or it can feed a small army. Since I don’t have an army to feed I simply make the meat-veggie mix one night to store for the week in the fridge and then just microwave the potato when you’re ready to eat! To make for quick heating: cook and stuff the potato a head of time, let it cool, then wrap it in aluminum foil to store in the fridge till you are ready to eat!
Cook & Prep Time: ~30 minutes
Serves: 8 people (depending on how many potatoes you have or how many hungry people present)
Serving Size: One Stuffed Potato (Although I find one half of a large Russet potato is enough for a meal for me or gives you the option of pairing a side with it).
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of ground beef/lamb/turkey
1 white onion chopped
1 cup of corn (canned or fresh of the ear)
1 cup cut green beans (canned or fresh - if fresh cut small)
2 stalks celery sliced
1 cup of shredded carrots
½ Cup low sodium beef broth (or veggie broth)
8 Russet potatoes
8 Tablespoons light sour cream
4 Tablespoon shredded cheese
3 clove minced garlic
(Optional: 2 Tablespoons melted butter)
Suggested spices: Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Salt & Pepper - add to taste while cooking the meat and veggies.
Directions:
- Cut veggies as needed. Since I like to buy fresh green beans I cut them smaller, and I cut the corn off the cob. Dice the onion, slice the celery, and shred or thinly slice the carrots if you didn't buy them pre-shredded. Depending on how much time you have you might want to buy canned/precut. Personally after a long day at work I find wielding a knife therapeutic.
- In a pan on medium heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add cut veggies - cover to keep in the juices.
- Cook until tender stirring from time to time. Don't over cook fresh veggies. No one likes limp veggies. That's how your grandma cooked them and that's why you don't like them. Keep them tinder!
- Transfer tinder veggies to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Over medium heat brown meat in the same pan the veggies were in using another Tbsp of olive oil if needed.
- When meat is starting to brown add broth and let simmer for a few minutes till meat is completely browned.
- While meat is cooking, microwave two potatoes at a time, but rub some olive oil on the outside to give it an oven-baked taste - add some salt to it if you're feeling daring.
- Let the potatoes rest - and cook as many as you need in batches till you’ve cooked all potatoes if you are feeding an army or making meals ahead of time.
- Add the veggies to the same pan and cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low - do not cover.
- Carefully cut a potato in half - it'll be hot! I use a kitchen towel to hold the potato while I work with it.
- Take a small knife & spoon (leave a small potato wall next to the skin, do not carve all the way to the skin wall) carve out some inner potato goodness and place the innards in another mixing bowl. Carved out potatoes can rest on a plate while they wait to be stuffed.
- Once all potatoes have been gutted, mix the potato innards with garlic, cheese, sour cream and optional butter. But don't forget the garlic. Garlic and potatoes is almost better than cheese and potatoes, or bacon and potatoes.
- Scoop the meat and veggie mix into the potato (about ¾ of a cup depending on your potato) till it’s almost level then take some of the potato mixture and place on top of the meat and veggie mix.
- I recommend serving in a bowl just in case things get messy!
Estimated Nutrition Information:
Calculation based on using lean beef in the recipe (via MyFitnessPal website - I do not represent them or make money from them I just so happened to like using their website).
1 serving = 1 stuffed potato (two halves)
Calories 519
Carbs 71g
Fat 16g
Protein 25g
Sodium 224mg
Sugar 6g
So there you have it! Since St. Patty's Day falls on a THURSDAY this week (almost as bad as having a Birthday on a Monday) this is a nice quick meal for a busy week night! I hope you try it and like it. With whisky ... ok or a pint of Guinness! Happy St. Patty's Day!
