Quick And Easy Shepherd's Pie

This is a super-quick and relatively simple version of Shepherd's Pie that can be made as a quick meal for several people using only a few ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1lb. ground beef
• 5 medium Idaho potatoes (or for speed, 3 cups of prepared instant mashed potatoes)
• 1 can of corn or peas
• 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• 1 tbls. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 2 tbls. margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup milk

Preparation

1. Prepare instant potatoes according to the package.

• If you're using whole potatoes, peel them, cut them into 1" cubes and boil them until they're ready to be mashed. Once they're mashed with a soft enough consistency that the cubes crumble when you poke them with a fork. Add salt, butter and milk.

1. When potatoes are ready, add pepper and garlic powder.
2. In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat, draining most of the fat when it's browned.
3. While the beef is browning, put the flour into an 8-ounce cup or coffee mug, and fill the rest of the container with cold water. Stir until the mixture is blended.
4. When the fat is drained from the beef, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the water/flour mixture, being sure to coat the beef evenly.
5. In a 9" glass casserole dish or cake pan, add the ground beef mixture, spreading it evenly along the bottom.
6. Drain the corn/peas and layer them on top of the beef.
7. Spread the mashed potatoes on that layer
8. Sprinkle cheese on top (optional).
9. Cook in a microwave on high for 5 minutes, enough to heat the vegetables (and melt the cheese),or bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serves 3-4.