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by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!

Ah, so you're interested in the famous Shepherd's Pie with dehydrated food? Read on!

I love to serve shepherd's pie in individual ramekins or make a one-pot meal!

Stick the ramekins under the broiler until you get golden-brown peaks of mash!

This super recipe is available in our eBook: 20-Taste Tested Easy Recipes Containing Dehydrated Food.

How Did Shepherd's Pie Get Its Name?

Shepherd's pie got its name from the fact that it was originally made with leftover lamb, a meat commonly associated with shepherds. Here's a brief history:

• The dish originated in England in the 18th century. During this time, shepherds tended flocks of sheep in the countryside (just like I did in 1978 too!)
  
• The meat used was traditionally lamb, reflecting its origins as a peasant dish made with the meat available to shepherds. Leftover lamb was used in the pie.
• The crust was originally made by mashing potatoes and baking them on top of the lamb mixture. This gave it an appearance similar to a pie.
• The name "shepherd's pie" first started appearing in cookbooks in the late 19th century. It references the humble origins of the dish as a meal for shepherds made from lamb and potatoes.
• The name distinguished it from other meat pies popular at the time. Calling it a "shepherd's pie" evoked the imagery of a country shepherd's dinner.
• Over time, the name became commonly used even when made with other meats like beef. But the 'shepherd' association still remains due to its origins as a lamb dish.

Ingredients for Shepherd's Pie with Dehydrated Food

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dehydrated onion
• 1/2 cup dehydrated celery
• 1 cup dehydrated carrots
• 2 cups boiling water (for the dehydrated items)
  
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• salt* and pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups of beef stock
• 5 medium white potatoes, peeled, quartered knob of butter
• dash whole milk

How to Make Shepherd's Pie with Dehydrated Food

1. Use the freshly boiled water to rehydrate the dehydrated items above, and then discard this water.
2. When the dehydrated items are sufficiently plump, put the veggies into a heavy saucepan with the heated olive oil, and cook for five minutes.
3. Add the ground beef, and cook until the meat is browned through.
4. Make the beef stock, add the ketchup, tomato paste, and Worcestershire Sauce then add this to the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.
5. In a small jug, add the flour and enough cold water to have a runny mixture (1/4 cup approx. of water). Stir well and we use this in Step 7.
   
6. In a separate pan, add the peeled and quartered potatoes, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil and simmer until cooked through. Discard the water, add salt and pepper to taste, along with a pat of butter, and a dash of milk. We're just making regular mashed potatoes here!
7. When the beef in Step 4 has cooked through, add the flour/water mix and stir thoroughly—the beef mixture will now thicken up nicely. Cook for a few minutes to make sure you don't have raw flour! Add salt/pepper to taste.
8. Spoon out the beef mixture into four ramekins and top with the mashed potatoes.
9. Place ramekins under the broiler (not too close!) and broil until the peaks of the mashed potatoes turn brown... Enjoy!

*IF you need to add salt, do so, BUT be careful NOT to over-salt as the bouillon has salt in it.

Want to Use Fresh Ingredients?

If you want to use fresh ingredients that you may have on hand, do this:

Exchange the dry ingredients in the recipe, above, for these fresh ingredients listed below!

• 1/2 of a large onion, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, washed, peeled and sliced

ALSO: Use this Shepherd's pie base enjoyed with wide egg noodles, shown above!

actually, there are 26 recipes!

The recipes also include the food ingredient amounts
to use instead when you have fresh food on hand!

🍍 🍎 🥦 🥔  🍒 🧄

Here's How to Make EASY
MEALS with Dried Food

Recipe Book

🍕 Pizza!
🥧  Shepherd's Pie!
🥘  Beef Stew!
plus Cauliflower Soup and
Cauliflower Mash, along
with crazy Carrot Soup!

Decadent Desserts:
Carrot Cake and
Cranberry Pineapple Pie!
and more...

🍍 🍎 🥦 🥔  🍒 🧄

Here's How to Make EASY
MEALS with Dried Food

Recipe Book

actually, there are 26 recipes!

🍕 Pizza!
🥧  Shepherd's Pie!
🥘  Beef Stew!

plus Cauliflower Soup and Cauliflower Mash, along with crazy Carrot Soup!

Decadent Desserts:
Carrot Cake and Cranberry Pineapple Pie and more...

The recipes also include the food ingredient amounts to use instead when you have fresh food on hand!

Growing Celery, Carrots, and Onions

Here are tips for growing celery, carrots, and onions in the USA along with some of the best areas for cultivation:

• Celery - Grows best in cool climates with moist, nutrient-rich soil. Some ideal areas include northern states like Michigan, New York, and California's central coast. Start seeds indoors early. Keep soil consistently moist.
  
• Carrots - Do well in deeply worked, loose soil. Cool climates suit them. Leading producers are California, Washington, Texas, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Sow seeds directly in prepared garden beds. Thin seedlings to proper spacing. Keep moist until full size.
• Onions - Grow well across most of the US. Major producers are Idaho, Oregon, California, Georgia, and New York. Onions grow from sets, seeds, or transplants. Plant in early spring 1/2 inch deep, 2 inches apart. Keep soil fertile and avoid weeds. Cure bulbs after harvesting.

When planting together, remember celery needs more water than carrots and onions. So, provide irrigation for celery. Lengthen the time between watering for carrots and onions.

Aim to rotate the location of each crop yearly to maintain soil health. With the right climate and care, most gardeners in the US can achieve good results with these three versatile vegetables.

Thanks for stopping by to learn how to make this super easy and super tasty Shepherd's Pie with dehydrated food!

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!

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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010.

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