Cooking experiment

Remember my Moussaka recipe from a couple of weeks ago well I used the topping from that and the base from my Shepherd's Pie recipe (usually topped with heaps of mashed potatoes) and combined them to make a potato-less Shepherd's Pie for dinner the other night. You could certainly do a mashed potato top (maybe not heaps) but I like the added protein from the cheeses and egg. I served it with green peas.

Here's the recipe and FP:


Shelly's Shepherd's Pie (without potatoes)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 pound Ground Beef
1 Large Carrot, grated
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Parsley
1 clove Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Topping:
1 large Egg
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour (I use Spelt)
1 cup Milk
4 ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in skillet and saute onion till golden. Remove and set aside. Saute ground beef and cook till no pink is seen. Drain any fats. Add onions back, grated carrot, thyme, garlic, parsley, S&P and soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute. Pour into casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened. Lower the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese and ricotta. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk a spoon of the cheese sauce into the reserved eggs until smooth. Whisk the egg mixture into the cheese sauce in the saucepan.

Pour the sauce over the meat in the baking dish. Bake until the top is lightly browned. 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.