Almost Shepherd's Pie

Okay. This technically is not a pie. 

This is something warm and delicious that falls under the comfort food category- it's what happens when a shepherd's pie meets a meat ratatouille.  

Shepherd's pie is basically a beef and vegetable pie topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. Ratatouille is a French dish that is a tomato-based saute of vegetables, eaten as a side dish or main course.

I used spicy Italian sausage in place of beef, used a bunch of ratatouille vegetables like green peppers, onions, and squash, and skipped adding any tomato.  Instead of a mashed potato topping, I used cubed potatoes sauteed in garlic and butter and topped with cayenne pepper.  

You can obviously use sweet ground Italian sausage if you like, but this wasn't overwhelmingly spicy at all.  It definitely had a little kick though.

The Boyfriend went back for seconds.  So did I.  In fact, we almost ate the entire thing.

Almost Shepherd's Pie

You will need:

One package of hot or sweet ground Italian sausage

3 green peppers, diced

3 onions,  sliced into half moons

1 cup yellow squash, diced

1 cup potatoes cut in cubes

2 tbsp rosemary

1/2 cup beef broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp butter

Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, swirl a bit of extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the sausage.  Cook until briwn and crumbly.  Remove with a slotted spoon (leave juices in pan) and set aside.

2. In same pan immediately add the onion.  Saute until about halfway done, until onions start to look soft and translucent.  Add the green peppers. Saute until green peppers start to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add the squash and 2/3's of the minced garlic. Saute another few minutes and add the beef broth, rosemary, and the cooked sausage.  Bring to a simmer.

3.  Add the parsley to the pan, mix, and pour into a deep dish glass pie dish.

4.  In same skillet, add the butter.  Let melt for a minute, and add the potatoes, a couple dashes of salt and pepper, and the remaining garlic.  Saute for about 10 minutes, until potatoes start to look golden and crispy.

5.  Carefully pour the potatoes on top of the meat mixture.  Cover with grated gruyere cheese, and a couple dashes of cayenne pepper.

6. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

7. Serve in bowls with crusty bread!