Pâté Chinois aka Shepherd's Pie

What better to make for Easter than Shepherd's Pie. Or as my family has always called it, Pâté Chinois, which is French for Chinese Pie. 


This is a family recipe which is very versatile. We are always adding layers and sometimes removing layers, to make this recipe slightly different. Feel free to add or remove a layer to make it your own. 

You Will Need:


2 1/2 pounds of ground Turkey. 


Approximately 5 large Potatoes.


1 pound bag of Carrots (dip chip style will cook faster).


1 can Sweet Peas (15 oz)


1 can Sweet Cream Corn (14 3/4 oz)


3 cups of Shredded Mixed Cheese








How To Prepare:


Wash, peel, and cube potatoes. 


Boil potatoes, and carrots separately on high until soft. (The carrots will take longer to soften.)


Brown the ground turkey. Drain the turkey in a colander. Season with pepper and stir.


Once they soften, drain the potatoes and mash them. Mix in 2 table spoons of butter and 1/4 cup of milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. 


Preheat oven to 350*.


Once they soften (it will take a while), drain the carrots and mash them. Mix in 1 table spoon of butter. (If they are not completely smooth and slightly gritty, do not worry, they will still taste fine as long as you were able to mash them).


Next you are going to layer these ingredients into a 9X13 casserole dish. 


Layer the meat evenly on the bottom of the casserole. 


Sprinkle 3 cups of shredded mixed cheese on top of the meat. 


Open the can of peas, drain it, then spread them over the cheese. 


Scoop the mashed carrots onto the peas and spread evenly over them. 


Scoop the mashed potatoes onto the carrots and spread evenly over them. 


Open the can of cream corn and spread it over the potatoes. 


Bake this in the oven for 10 minutes. 

Tips:

You can use ground beef if you would like, I just use turkey in attempts to eat healthier. 

The carrots take the longest to soften, so you may want to start boiling them before you start peeling your potatoes. 

Enjoy!

Red Lobster style Cheddar Biscuit's

While shopping online for my hope chest I came across a cookbook labeled, "America's Most Wanted Recipes, Delicious Recipes From Your Family's Favorite Restaurants" by Ron Douglas. Not knowing what recipes were in this book, I took a chance and ordered it hoping for some great recipes. 


Upon receiving the book in the mail I noticed at the bottom it said, "copycat versions of everyone's best-loved food", this made me skeptical because I had thought the book was full of straight from the restaurant recipes. Still skeptical I opened the book and decided to try some recipes. Needless to say, this book is legit and I am glad I purchased it. 


This weeks recipe is definitely fit for the title of the book. Who doesn't LOVE the biscuits from Red Lobster? They are delicious and I have found myself going to Red Lobster specifically for the biscuits. Now I no longer need to go out for these biscuits and can enjoy them from home with whatever dish I desire. 


The best part of this recipe is it is very simple and most of the ingredients are probably already in your fridge and pantry. 

You Will Need:


2 cups of Biscuit Mix ( I used Bisquick)


1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar


2/3 cup milk


4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter


1/4 tsp garlic powder


Parsley flakes, for sprinkling


Cooking spray or vegetable oil (whichever you have on hand).






How to Prepare:


Preheat oven to 450*


Grease cookie sheet with cooking spray or vegetable oil


Mix biscuit mix, cheddar, and milk until a soft dough forms. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds.


Spoon 12 balls of dough approximately 1.5 - 2 inches in size onto greased cookie sheet. Slightly flatten dough balls and smooth down tops of the dough balls to prevent hard points from forming. 


Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tops of the biscuits are brown. 


While the biscuits are in the oven, melt the butter in a pan on low heat and stir in the garlic powder.


When the biscuits are done baking, brush the butter on the tops of the biscuits, sprinkle the biscuits with parsley flakes, and serve them hot. 

Tips: 


The above recipe is how it is stated in the book, if you follow the recipe they will taste like Red Lobster's biscuits but not as strong in flavor. I suggest adding a tad more cheese and garlic to heighten the flavor. 




ENJOY!

Delicious Deviled Eggs

This week my mother hard boiled some eggs for my visiting nieces and nephews to color in honor of Easter. Afterward there were quite a few eggs left uncolored, so I decided to turn them into deviled eggs. 


My mother taught me years ago how to make deviled eggs. The recipe is quite simple, but will not disappoint. 

What you need:


12 Hard Boiled Eggs 


Mayonnaise 


Mustard


Salt 


Pepper 


Paprika




How to Prepare:


Click here if you are unsure how to make hard boiled eggs.


Once your hard boiled eggs are cooled, peel them.


Rinse peeled eggs and cut them in halves (from top of egg to bottom). 


Spoon yolks out of eggs and into a bowl. Mush yolks with a spoon or fork until no longer in large chunks.


Mix in mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth (some small clumps are ok). The mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper are all added to taste. I use approximately: 3/4 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tbsp of pepper. 


Spoon mixture evenly into eggs. 


Sprinkle paprika on top. 

Enjoy!

Dill Potato Salad featuring Apple Bits

According to the "What's in Season" widget on this page, potatoes are in season. This is why I have chosen to share this fabulous potato salad recipe with you this week. 


This recipe was given to my mother by her sister and it is my favorite potato salad that I have yet to taste. 


The recipe makes 10 pounds of potato salad, so it is great for parties and cook outs (and if you just love potato salad). However, if you are looking to make potato salad for a smaller amount of people, you can always cut the recipe in half.

You Will Need:




10 pound bag of potatoes               1 onion 








7 hard boiled eggs                           1 Apple 
(15 min)








24oz sour cream                30oz of mayo








salt and pepper to taste          fresh dill chopped or dill weed spice








How to Prepare:


Peel, dice, and boil potatoes until cooked, but not too soft or hard. Drain and let cool. 


Chop onion, apple, and eggs very small (pea size). 


Mix onion, eggs, apple, mayo, and sour cream. Mix in salt, pepper, and dill to taste. 


Fold potatoes into mixture a little at a time until all potatoes are mixed in. 


Cool in refrigerator. 

This is what 10lbs of potato salad looks like!

Tips:


We use dill weed from a spice bottle... and a lot of it.


We also use a Vidalia Chop Wizard to do all of our chopping.

Enjoy!