"Eggers Style" Burgers

The grilling season is here!  I never order a burger at a restaurant, for a few reasons, but I love a home made burger on the grill.

You're probably wondering... what's Eggers Style?  Well, meet the Eggers...

Mr.

Or perhaps here's a better one of him and My Mr.

Mrs. (the red-haired one) and Child #1

I'm so sorry, I don't have a picture of Child #2.


These are our "holiday friends".  We don't see each other a lot throughout the year, but we've sort of fell in to this pattern where we see each other every Christmas Eve, July 4th, and this year we added Easter.  :-)  While searching for photos to introduce you to them I realized, I don't have very many photos of this family that we love.

Anyway, this year on Easter, the Eggers invited us over for a "non-traditional" Easter dinner.  Their words, not mine.  Actually they wanted to get together not on a holiday, but Easter was right around the corner, so we sort of invited ourselves for that day.  It seemed appropriate.

For dinner, we had the option of a plain hamburger or an Eggers Style hamburger.  And because they were so good, I decided the next time I made burgers it would be this way.

Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 cup of parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4-6 cloves crushed garlic

You can add or subtract any of the flavorings.  I didn't really get a measured recipe from the Mrs.,  so I just sort of eyeballed it, and this is what I think my measurements were.  We like garlic, and I could taste it.

Mix all the ingredients together and form hamburger patties.  I made 8 burgers from 2 lbs of beef.

Grill them up to perfection and serve with your favorite toppings!

What's YOUR favorite way to eat a burger?  I'd love to hear from you!

Blessings,
Chellie

Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Burgers

This loaded burger was bursting with flavor!  It didn't need much in the way of dressing it up, but it really depends on your tastes.
This is a really 'loose' recipe, meaning I didn't measure much more of an estimation.

1/2 cup goat cheese
3 Tbs sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil) chopped
1 Tbs basil
2 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Mix the cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil together.

2.  In a separate bowl mix your ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper together.

3.  Divide your beef mixture into 8 equal sections.  Take one section, split it in half, and form one half into a thin patty.  Put some of your cheese mixture on top, then form the other half of the beef into a patty and place on top, sealing the edges well.

4.  Grill to perfection, top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

St. Patricks Day Mystery Diner Part 2

In honor of St. Patricks day coming up, please enjoy this re-post.  This particular St. Paddy's day was one of my favorites because not only was it just plain fun, but it was 80 degrees in Michigan!  Unheard of in March!  

Finally, I'm posting about our wonderful celebration!  I've just been too busy soaking up the sun, running the household.  :D  If you missed Part 1 or our Mystery Dinner, you can see it here.
So, we had our lovely friends The Lubberts over for dinner.  They were great sports and totally up for our Mystery Dinner.  A good time was had by all.

Here's my daughter, all decked out in her green.  She was even wearing green corduroy pants--and it was 80 degrees here in Mi.

also very excited about her stick-on earrings.

Originally, it was just going to be for my family, but when we added our friends, I changed a few of my ideas really just to make it easy on myself.  You'll notice some changes here from my Part 1 post.  Things have to be ready to serve up, so, I did prepare some things in advance (and prepared easy things)

Here's what we had:

Shamrock Shake:  Pour the dressing on the veggies and shake her up!  (kids totally dig this)

Leprechaun Pie (recipe here) 

Spoon Bread   (recipe here)

Taste a Rainbow

Emerald Isle (recipe here)

U-Pick Clover (sour cream cookie recipe here)  This was a decorate your own cookie dessert.

Irish Kiss (napkin)

Blarney Stone (fork)

St. Pat's Sword (knife)

Digging for Gold (Spoon)

As you can see, some of the menu items are your utensils.  This keeps it really interesting!  

Here's our Menu's:

The first thing we do is fill out our menus.  You'll want each person to keep a copy and give a copy to the chef.  All the fun names are listed and 3 courses.  We all eat 1 course at a time, then I serve up the next, and so on.  

How do you celebrate St. Patricks Day?  Or don't you?   I would love to hear from you!  Please share your traditions in the comments.  

I hope you find a reason to celebrate today!

Blessings

~Chellie

St. Patricks Day Mystery Dinner (pt. 1)

                             


It's about a week away from St. Patricks day!  I am not irish, but I love a reason to celebrate.  :-)  Last year we did a mystery dinner with the kids for Valentine's Day.  They loved it so much they asked to do it again, so this year, we are doing it on St. Patrick's day.

I will post many more pictures after the event, but I will try to give you a good description here.

Here's our menu so far:

Shamrock Shake  (this will be a green veggie salad in a jar w/dressing that they will shake to mix)
4-leaf clover         (mini-pizza in a clover shape, I'll use a cookie cutter)
Leprechaun Pie    (shepherds pie, recipe found here)
Pot of gold           (lemon jello in a lime pot)
over the rainbow   (fruit kebab in the colors of the rainbow.  strawberry, cantelope, banana, kiwi, blueberry
                                grape)
emerald isle           (green punch)
digging for gold     (spoon)
Blarney Stone       (fork)
St. Pat's sword       (knife)
Irish kiss                (napkin)


Dessert is yet to be determined, both what it is and what I'll call it.  Although, I may just do it as it.  There is alot of balance here, vegetables, starch, meat, fruit, etc.    I will be making a menu with all the fun names, and a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd course.  The kids will put the items they want in which course.   You'll notice some of the items are utensils!  It's always fun to see how it all ends up.  I will definitely keep you posted as we get closer to the event!

Irish blessings to you all.

SRC: Beef Braised in Rooibos Tea with Sweet Potatoes

This month for the  Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned the blog Manu's Menu.  Manuela resides in Australia, but was born and raised in Milan Italy.  Her blog is very impressive.  Her pictures are beautiful and her recipes are very authentic and interesting.  Please stop by and visit her! 

I chose her braised beef in tea recipe.  I had seen braising in tea somewhere before but had never tried it. Well, of course, it was delicious!  I only wish my picture could do it justice.  I made this for dinner one night and being the middle of Michigan winter, there is just not enough light.  It is very hard to get a decent picture in my kitchen this time of year.  Even during daylight, it is often very gray here.  So, my apologies Manuela, for not doing your food justice here.  You can see her original post here.  The only thing I might have done differently is the tomato concentrate.  I used tomato paste, and in Manuela's picture hers looks more like a tomato sauce.  Otherwise, I did just what the recipe says.

1 1/4 lbs chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks

2 Tbs flour

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
5 Rooibos tea* bags
1 quart just-boiled water
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 strips unwaxed orange peel, pith removed (the peel of about half an orange)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup mild honey (optional)
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

* Rooibos tea can be substituted in this recipe by black tea, or try another dark herbal tea such as one containing licorice.

Season the beef with pepper and coat in the flour. Heat the oil in a large stock pot and then brown the beef on all sides.

Add the onions and celery. Put on a tight fitting lid and let them soften for ten minutes.

Add the garlic and tomato concentrate and cook for one minute.

Meanwhile, place the tea bags in a heatproof pitcher and pour the hot boiled water over them. Allow to steep for four minutes.

Then remove the tea bags and pour the tea into the stock pot. Add the red wine vinegar, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and ginger.

Lower the heat and cover. Let the stew simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the beef is tender.

Add the sweet potatoes, honey (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Serve with some steamed rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Please check out The Secret Recipe Club for lots of super yummy recipes.  And if you're interested in becoming a member of the Secret Recipe Club, all the info is on the site.

Chili

This is my basic Chili recipe.  It is adapted from a weight watchers cook book called "5 and Under".

My chili recipe is really never the same twice.  It kind of depends on what I have in the house, but it always turns out great!  Who doesn't love a hot bowl of Chili on a cold winters day?!

1 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can of chopped mild green chiles, drained

1 lb ground beef

2 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup chili powder

3 cups dried beans, (once prepared this is about 3 cans of beans)  I like to use a variety

1 tbs cumin

1/2 tbs smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

Cheese, Sour Cream and Cilantro for serving and garnishing.

Sautee the onion in a large stockpot until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and chilis and cook for another minute.  Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up as you go.  I use lean ground beef, so there is not a need to drain it, but if you like to, then go ahead.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer.  The longer it simmers, the better the flavor will be.  You can also do this one in the crockpot.  Just brown your ground beef, then put everything in the crockpot.  

As I mentioned, I never make this the same.  If I don't have green chilis, I omit them.  If I have bell peppers in the house that need to be used, I'll chop those up and add them too.  The main thing is getting the spices you like to the amount you like.  Sometimes I used the smoked paprika, and sometimes I don't.  This is not a spicy chili at all.  So, if you like spicy, then add some Franks Red Hot, or some Cayenne pepper.  

Also, I have a local source for beans, so I buy dried and prepare them in the pressure cooker.  Yes, it's a bit more work, but not too much effort for me.  I love having the freshest of ingredients.  But, this recipe is great with canned beans too.  Again, I like a variety, so I may do 1 cup cranberry beans, 1 cup pinto, and 1 cup kidney.  Sometimes I do a white bean or a black bean.  If you want more info on how to prepare them drop me an email or a comment.  The pressure cooker method is here.  

Tostadas

Have I mentioned I love Mexican food?  One of the great things about tostadas, is you can load them up however you want.  The ones I made here are a vegetarian version, but we've had them before with meat too.  I love the crunchy shell, great texture! 

Vegetable oil
Flour tortillas
Refried beans (we did homemade, but you can use canned)
Guacamole
Cheese
Sour cream
Taco seasoning
lettuce
tomato
Cilantro

This list includes what these are made with, but of course you can add beef, chicken, pork, onion, black olives, and so on, whatever you like!

Heat oil in a large pan.  There should be about a half inch or so of oil in the pan.  If you aren't sure when it's ready, just sprinkle a drop of water in it, if it sizzles, it's ready.  I did 1 tortilla at a time.  It will puff up while it's cooking, you may want to press the bubbles out, so you have a somewhat level surface to put your toppings on.  Fry the tortilla, flipping once, until it's golden on both sides.  It won't take long.  You'll notice that the first few will take a little longer, then it starts going really quick.  Lay the tortillas on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.

After your finished, start loading up your toppings.  We did the refried beans first, then a layer of guacamole, then cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro.  I mixed some sour cream with a bit of taco seasoning, and topped it off.  That gave it a little color and a burst of flavor.

Yummy!  

Pineapple Jalapeno meatballs

Are you planning a Super Bowl party yet?  I brought these to a New Years Eve party.  I'm not sure if it was my husband eating them all or if people really liked them!  Haha!  My husband had been mentioning meatballs since my Christmas Eve Open House.  I refused him as I was already into 3 days food prep for the party.  He kindly said:  "It's not too late, I can fire up the Crockpot" on Christmas Eve.  To Which I replied:  "Sorry honey, I need the Crockpot for the Hot Cocoa Bar".  So, I decided to love on my hubby by making him some meatballs on NYE.  This is not your traditional recipe.  It was really good, and not burn your lips spicy.  Plus, it's super easy!!

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
2 Tbs water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbs dried minced onion

For the Sauce:
1 jar pineappple preserves
1 jar jalapeno jelly

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix the beef, egg, water, breadcrumbs and onion well.  Form small meatballs and place on baking sheet.
I got about 35 meatballs from one batch.  Cook in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, put your preserves and jelly into a small saucepan and warm.  I did this just so it would be thinner and spread over my meatballs easier.

Once your meatballs are finished cooking, you can put them in the crockpot and cover with the sauce.  Stir gently.  I kept my crockpot on low just to keep them warm.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Sunday: French Dip Sandwiches

This recipe is adapted from baking bites.  I saw it on Pinterest, where lately I have been seeing lots of great recipes.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
approx 3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
16-oz. beef broth (1 1/2 cans)
1 10.5-oz. can condensed French onion soup
6-oz red wine
3 cloves crushed garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
sliced provolone cheese, optional

Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.
Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slow cookers have different time intervals that you can select, so work with your cooker. Depending on how the settings on your slow cooker work, the time will vary. Since this is cooking in liquid, you don’t have to worry about the meat drying out.
Take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low or very low for 30 minutes.
Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls, if using. Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the beef juice* into ramekins or other small bowls and eat everything while it is hot. Serve each sandwich with its own dip.

Seves 4-6.

I really like french dip sandwiches, but I've never attempted to make it.  We LOVED this recipe!  It was so good, my son even asked for seconds.  

*Note: If there is excess fat in your au jus, simply pour it from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup and let it stand for about 5 minutes so the fat separates. Skim it off, then pour the juice into serving cups.

April fools dinner

I found these fun ideas on the Family fun magazine website.  


First I told the kids we were having cupcakes for dinner.  They actually believed me even though we had been playing April fools pranks already that day.

Cupcakes for dinner?

They were actually meatloaf cupcakes.  

Before praying, my son snuck a swipe of 'frosting' and said, "hey, how come this frosting tastes like potatoes?"  My daughter told me later in the evening that she did not like potato frosting.  

Then I told them we were having Chicken nuggets with peas and carrots for dessert.

mmmmm! They were pleasantly surprised to find out their veggies were candy.

There's a couple ideas on the family fun website for the chicken, but I used Nutty Putty, which is in one of my kids cook books.  It makes a great dough that they can play with or use cookie cutters on, decorate and eat.  The recipe follows.  For the peas and carrots I used those flavored tootsie roll things, I don't know the name, they're in the bulk aisle by all the bulk candy.

Nutty Putty:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tbs honey

1 cup nonfat dry milk

Just mix it together and have fun!  I halved the recipe and it made me about 9 'nuggets'.

For the 'cupcakes', use your favorite meatloaf recipe and put it in foil baking cups about 3/4 full.  After baking them, topped with mashed potatoes colored with food coloring.  

Did you do anything for April fools day?  I would love to hear about it!

Korean Beef BBQ

I found this on our best bites.  I've made some substitutions.  I loved having some grilled food... a little reminder of summer.  :-)

I used my grill pan, instead of freezing outside.  

Korean BBQ Beef

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

1 1/2 lb. stew meat

1/2 c.  pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 red bell peppers (or different colors), chopped into large pieces
2 sweet onions, chopped into large pieces

Combine pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add stew meat.  Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. 


Thread the onions and peppers onto a skewer.


Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the meat onto skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.

mmm raw meat!

Taco Soup

What's better than hot soup and yummy bread on a cold day in MI?  Mmmm!  Actually, sitting poolside on an 85 degree day with an icy cold drink, but hey, I'm thankful for seasons.


This is again from our best bites.  


1 lb.  lean ground beef 
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1.25-oz. packet taco seasoning (about 1/4 c.)
3 c. water, divided
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained or if you used dried, it will take about 1 1/2 cups dried beans.  when you soak and cook them you should have the right amount
1 can corn, drained (or frozen)


Toppings: Pico de Gallo, light sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.


Heat a large soup pot over medium. When ready, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 c. water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 c. water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 12-oz. servings.Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat, place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Pastitsio

One of the kids gifts this Christmas was a kitchen apron and a kid's cookbook.  They love to help in the kitchen and were thrilled.  This dish came from one of those cookbooks.  I changed up a couple things, and it was a great dish!  Very easy too.  And it's pronounced pah-STEET-see-oh.  Enjoy!


1 box elbow macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
a splash of red wine  ( I just go by taste)
a dash of sugar  (I go by taste here too)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 10 oz container fresh Alfredo sauce (I used Buitoni and liked it.  I don't like most jarred alfredo sauces)
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese


Preheat oven to 350.  Cook macaroni accordin to package directions; drain and set aside.


Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onion and salt over medium high heat, breaking up meat until it is no longer pink.  Drain well and return to skillet.  Stir in pasta sauce, wine, sugar and cinnamon.  Brig to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes.


Spoon half of macaroni into a 9x13 lightly greased dish.  top with meat mixture.  Spoon remaining macaroni over meat mixture.  Spread Alfredo sauce over macaroni, and sprinkle with cheese.


Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Makes about 8 servings.

Texas Brisket

One of my dear students from the ELS language center gave me a cookbook for my birthday.  This recipe comes from "Nigella Kitchen".  She's a food network star, maybe you're familiar.  Anyway, I served this brisket up as an appetizer during my Christmas Eve Open House.  It turned out very good and it was an easy one to make.  It serves about 12, so just half it if you're just making it for your family.


3 medium onions
approximately 5 1/2 lbs beef brisket (make sure you don't buy salted or corned beef...just fresh)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce (such as A-1)
1/4 cup strong brewed black coffee


Preheat the oven to 300


Slice the onions, stripping away any skin that unwraps itself,  (It doesn't matter if the skin stays on) and arrange them in the center of the pan to create a platform the brisket will sit on.  I used an oval roasting pan, it worked great.


Place the brisket on top, fat-topped side up.


Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour them over the brisket, then cover the pan with aluminum foil, sealing it tightly.  Place it in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.


Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board.  Slice the brisket in diagonals across the grain.


Transfer the onions to a blender with a ladleful or two of the liquid from the pan and blend til smooth, then add back to the rest of the liquid in the pan and stir.


Put the brisket slices in the gravy in the pan and serve.

Braised Beef with Cranberries

This is a great tasting, easy dinner!  Plus it sounds so fancy.  A couple of friends commented when I told them what I was making... "oh, you are so talented!"  Well, the compliment is appreciated, but this really doesn't take any talent.  It's also quite festive for this time of year.  Fresh Cranberries are seasonal at the grocery store, so buy extra and freeze them.  They freeze great.


3 pounds chuck roast (brisket works well too)
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 can beef broth
1 cup dry red wine (merlot or cabernet Sauvignon)
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs unsulfured molasses
2 cups water
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
1 bag (1 pound) frozen pearl onions


1.  Preheat oven to 350 with rack in lowest position.  Season beef with salt and pepper.  Heat a 5 quart dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high.  Add chuck roast, cook until browned, 8-10 minutes, rotating once.  Transfer beef to a plate


2. Add flour to pot and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add broth, wine, bay leaf, molasses, half the cranberries, and 2 cups of water; bring to a boil.  Return beef to pot, and cover.  Transfer to oven; bake 3 hours.


3.  Stir in onions; cover, and return pot to oven.  Cook 30 minutes more.  Stir in remaining cranberries; return pot to oven.  Cook uncovered, until beef is fork-tender, 30 minutes more.  Discard bay leaf before serving.

Isn't it festive?  

I served it up with some baked potatoes, and a green salad.   

Shishkebabs

I love kebabs!  There are so many ways to make them and it's all about preference.  Here's what we had tonight.

2 lbs stew meat 
red, yellow, orange bell peppers, cut up
1 vidalia onion, cut up
1 can pineapple chunks or fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup Teriyaki Marinade

Marinade the meat for 1 hour up to overnight.  The longer, the more flavorful.  Place the meat and vegetables and in this case fruit on the kebabs and grill.  I like to preheat my grill and spray the grates with a little vegetable oil to keep the meat from sticking.  Turn occasionally until your desired doneness.  Is that a word?  "done-ness"?  Oh well, you get it.  I like mine medium rare.  Yum!  Serve on a bed of rice.

I just thought the watermelon looked pretty...

Black and Blue Burgers

These are so good, and I was so anxious to eat that I completely forgot to take a picture!  I'll have to add it next time I make these.  If you just need to add some life to plain old burgers this is a great way to do it. 

2 lbs ground beef
4 oz blue cheese
4 oz chives chopped
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
if you like a little kick to yours add 1/4-1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Shape into patties and grill on a pre-heated grill (med. high)  They take about 5-10 minutes depending on how 'done' you like your meat. 
I like to top mine with bbq sauce and mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and avacado.

Shepherd's Pie

 When I was growing up Shepherd's pie was a layer of ground beef, then green beans and then mashed potatoes on top.  Not so exciting.  Plus, my mom never made home made mashed potatoes, they always came from a box.  It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned I actually really like mashed potatoes!!  Because once I was out of the house and had them somewhere else they tasted great!  Yes, because they were REAL!  I mean no offense or disrespect to my mom who is now in heaven.  She did what she knew, and actually was a good cook, I just didn't like those potato buds.  Anyway, I found this recipe, a traditional Irish one, on the food network and it brings much more flavor and interest compared to what I grew up with.  I hope you like it as well. 

Garlicky Potatoe topping:

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup beef broth

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

Filling:

4 slices bacon, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1 teaspoon sugar

1 pound ground beef
2 to 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped, (about 1 cup)
3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed (if you don't like peas... just throw something else in)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (12-ounce) bottle light or dark beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Swiss or Cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves


Directions


Prepare potato topping: In a large saucepan add the potatoes and garlic and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, 1/4 cup of the broth, butter, salt and pepper, and beat on low speed with a hand mixer until the potatoes are light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup broth. Do not overmix. Cover and set aside.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch round baking dish with nonstick spray.

Prepare filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and almost crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate; set aside.

Add the oil to the drippings in the skillet and put over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the beef begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the beer, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes Add the cooked bacon, the broth, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.


Spoon the meat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread the potato topping evenly over the beef mixture. Bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes. Let rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Here's the filling

Here is the almost finished product.  It just needs to bake and the cheese needs to be added.  I'm baking it on Wednesday so I'll post more pics then.  Along with the Shamrock Shaped Pizza.