Sickness & Supper

I've been sick. With a Pandemic. :o) Seriously, it's been the never-ending illness since last Thursday! Both the hubby and I had "it"...he's feeling pretty much normal and I finally went to the Dr. today. The only reason I went was because it's been a week, and I was starting to wonder about strep, because of a sore throat. I actually had a fever when they took my temp, but no strep. Yay! Just a flu strain that doesn't make you pukey. Oh, and a sinus/cold thing. I'm a mess!! But I was told the usual...get plenty of rest, Vitamin C, Sudafed, etc. It will probably work itself out in another couple weeks. YIKES!!! I think I'm single-handedly keeping the tea industry in business right now!

Moving past the self-pity, menu-planning kind of fell by the wayside this week...because of the malaria. I had some ideas, but nothing concrete. It's worked out okay...just for this week. :o) Tonight, I made a take on a Rachael Ray Shepherd's Pie recipe. I'll just give you my version. It is really easy and fast. You might even say it was "DELISH!".

Mashed potatoes (If you have a ton of free Betty Crocker boxed ones, use those. Or just make your favorite type of mashed. Any will do.)
1 Lb. ground turkey (or beef, whatever you prefer)
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. beef or chicken stock/broth
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (just eyeball the amount)
Corn (frozen or canned. I used 11oz can of Niblets, drained)
Paprika
Fresh parsley

Preheat skillet over med-high heat. Add EVOO to hot pan with turkey. Season with salt and pepper. If you're using a fattier meat, drain or scoop out most of the fat. Once mostly browned, add onion to meat and cook about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. In a second smaller skillet, cook butter and flour together, over medium heat, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy for about 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and onion. Stir in corn.

Preheat the broiler to high. Fill a casserole dish (I used 8x8 glass) with meat & vegetable mixture. Spoon mashed potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes w/paprika and broil. Heat until potatoes evenly browned. Top with chopped parsley.

The thing I like about this, besides the ease and taste, is that you can add/substitute other veggies (peas, carrots, etc.) and also adjust the size of the dish pretty easily. Enjoy!!