I noticed when I make the grocery list sometimes I go over board with what I am feeling like on that day. Last week it was pasta, by the end of the week I was looking at the pasta not wanting to eat another single bite. Now you have to understand that I always make our dinners large so that we can eat leftovers all week for lunches. As my kids home school I have found that leftovers for lunch is the quickest, most satisfying stay at home lunch. As I was writing next week’s meal plan on the menu board last night I noticed a lot of salad. Probably because my tummy was feeling heavy from all that pasta that I ate last week. Oh well, you can all plan to see a lot of lettuce in my pictures but I will give you the main course recipes instead. Last night for Vegetarian Thursdays we made Shepard’s Pie, and boy was it good.

Original Recipe found at Allrecipes

•                     8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
•                     2 carrots, sliced
•                     1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
•                     1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•                     1/2 teaspoon dried basil
•                     1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
•                     3 tablespoons butter
•                     1/4 teaspoon salt
•                     1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•                     6 tablespoons milk
•                     1 onion, chopped
•                     1 teaspoon vegetable oil
•                     1 (19 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
•                     1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
•                     1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
•                     1 teaspoon soy sauce
•                     1/2 teaspoon white sugar
•                     1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
•                     1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Boil potatoes in large pot of boiling water until tender and ready to mash. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, garlic powder, basil and parsley, set aside until ready to use.

3. While potatoes are boiling in a medium saucepan boil carrots and mixed vegetables until tender, drain, set aside.

4. In same medium saucepan, cook onion in vegetable oil, until tender and cooked through. Add kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, soy sauce and sugar to pot. Bring to a gentle boil. Stir in carrots and veg mixture. Pour into casserole dish (mine was 11×7, but a 13×9 would work too).

5.Top with mashed potatoes, spread around as best you can, cheese and paprika.

6. Bake for 30 minutes.