Mexican-Inspired Shepherd's Pie

The other day I asked my coworkers, "What should I make for dinner?" Considering most of them are cooks, I considered it a good panel. One suggested shepherd's pie, and while I love potatoes and cheese and all that goodness, I decided to substitute some more flavorful ingredients for the peas and the carrots, ultimately arriving at a kind-of Mexican-inspired version of the dish. +

I began by preheating the oven to 375. Then I set a large pot of salted water to boil. Once the water was rolling, I added my cubed potatoes and let them cook for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile I heated my cast-iron skillet to medium-high and added a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil was hot but not smoking, I added the chopped onion. I sauteed the onion until it had become golden and translucent, then I added the ground beef, Mojo marinade and Goya Sazón. I stirred the beef until it browned, and then added it as the first layer in the bottom of my 9x12 casserole dish. Then I reduced the heat to medium and added the corn to the skillet. Once the corn heated, I added it to the casserole dish as the second layer.


We drained the potatoes and then placed them in a medium bowl and added a 1/4 cup of cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Andy mashed the potato cubes with my handy new potato masher.

For the third layer, I added the roasted red peppers. then the sour cream, cilantro, and mashed potatoes. For the potatoes, I used the back of a large spoon to make sure the layer was spread evenly over the entire dish. Then I sprinkled the remainder of the grated cheese on top. 


After 20 minutes in the oven, we were greeted by a delicious cheesy potato meat extravaganza. Cheers to pie!

Mexican-Inspired Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6.


1 lb. ground beef
1 package Goya Sazón
1 tablespoon Mojo marinade
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup cheddar, freshly grated
3 red peppers, roasted
1 15-oz can of corn
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt 
Pepper