Harry Potter Week: Day 2 - Mini Shepherd's Pie

Welcome to day two of Harry Potter Week!  Today, although I don't recall seeing it in either the books or the movies, we're featuring mini Shepherd's Pies.  I felt it was British enough to be included in the roster for the week.  And, they probably did eat it, they just didn't mention it!

You can find all kinds of recipes online for Shepherd's Pie.  There are some with a biscuit base.  Some very traditional, with only a few vegetables.  Some with roast chunks, etc.  I wouldn't say I used a specific recipe.  I just knew what I wanted to include.

Dough:
Since I was making mini pies, I decided the best way would be for them to actually be pies!  So, I used the same pie crust that I did for the pasties.  I used my mini muffin tin, and filled it with the uncooked pastry dough rounds.  Since the filling would already be cooked, I wanted to go ahead and semi-bake the dough.  I baked mine at 350, for about 12 min, checking frequently.  Then, I started on the mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes:
 I used about 5 or 6 medium sized potatoes.  I peeled them, then cut them into large chunks.  I put them into a pot of water and let them cook until they were nice and tender.  Then, I added waaay too much butter, milk and salt & pepper.  Blended them with my handy dandy hand mixer, and voila!  Mashed potatoes!  Set this aside, and start on your filling.  If you're a mutlitasker, feel free to start the filling while the potatoes are cooking. 

Filling:

Beef is traditional, so I used hamburger meat.  I seasoned with salt and pepper, browned it slightly, then added some diced onions and potatoes.  Next, I added veggies, and lots of them.  I added peas, carrots, corn, green beans and mushrooms.  I know this is not a traditional Shepherd's Pie, but I thought it would taste better.  Then, I made a roux in the same pan, to form a gravy.  I added beef broth to thin it. I let everything cook together for a few minutes, then tasted it for seasoning.  Feel free to add more herbs or any other spices you want.  At this point, you could let it cool, then refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to use it

Fill each of your mini crusts about 3/4 full of filling.  Top with a dollop of potatoes and spread around, to reach the edges. Then, bake again at 350, for about 20 min, or until everything is nice and toasty.  Careful not to burn the crusts!

I'm sure everyone at Hogwarts would have gobbled these up!  They are so cute and delicious too!  Enjoy!  Check back with me tomorrow for Day Three:  Treacle Tart!