Shepherd's Pie - one of the most perfect comfort foods!

These past few days have been crazy busy for us, going here and there, add in a few little home projects I created for myself.  Top it all off with planning for extra company for the weekend and hosting Thanksgiving dinner for family.  So my menu planning has been out the window it seems!
So tonight's dinner had to be easy, fast and simple, Shepherd's Pie!  And it was all three of that plus delicious flavor!  And good for you!  I literally walked in the door at 6:00pm this evening and began cooking dinner.  We sat down for dinner at 7!  20 minutes prep time (add a few more for my little interruptions ;)) and 20 minutes for cooking time.  I added salads and bread.  All of our veggies were in the entree.
It was so yummy, here is how few leftovers we had!  Suppose to serve 6 - 2 of our 5 were little eaters tonight so truly say 4 adults eating!

Forget what the menu said! Lamb Chops instead!

Started this post Wed evening, and well between computer battery dying, painters being here (and us not), and well life!  Sorry for the delay!

We had a change of plans in our menu today.  Just happened.  But it was SO YUMMY!  Again, let me remind you, I did not grow up eating lamb.  For that matter, I would never have known how to cook it.  Lamb is primarily eaten in the European side of the world.  If you have ever visited Europe, skip ordering a steak.  Not the same as our beef here in the USA.  But think about it, when images of Scotland and Ireland farmers pop in your head, don't you see a man walking beside a collie wearing a cable knit sweater, herding sheep and lamb?  The terrain overseas is more fitting for the raising of lamb.  We here in the good 'ole US of A raise cattle and chickens historically.
So Big Guy grilled Lamb Chops on the grill, 8-9 minutes each side.  This cooked the chops to a medium rare.  Oh so tasty!  I would almost say better than say....almost.  The chops had been marinated all afternoon in a mixture of rosemary, vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic, and a bit of honey.  They were bursting with flavor!
Now the chops were great.  But my favorite dish tonight was the Rice Pilaf.  This was the first item cleared off of both boys' plates tonight.  The Two year old only wanted rice and more rice.  My favorite rice (at the moment) is Jasmine Rice.  The smell of Jasmine rice - ah, it makes the house sing!

See I love it so much I am even showing you my half empty bag!  So good!  And cooking it in chicken broth with sauteed orange peppers, garlic, and celery - perfection!  I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow with Black Bean Salad for lunch!
We rounded dinner out with steamed asparagus and hollandaise sauce.  And I'm not too proud to say, I used a packet to make the sauce.  Remember that convenience factor????

McCormick makes life easy!

I Love a Rainy Night!

Here in the South, we are having wonderful fall showers!  Just enough to make it look and feel like FALL!  Makes for a great night of comfort food as well!  And what is more perfect than Beef Stroganoff over Egg Noodles for a cool rainy day! 
So I am adjusting the cooking times a bit on this recipe.  Browning the meat (the house smells SO DELICIOUS right now!) as well as the onions and mushrooms (I did use canned mushrooms).  Adding that and the sour cream, beef broth, and cream of mushroom soup in a crockpot on low till dinner time (in about 3 hours).  So yummy and easy!
Will boil the egg noodles and steam the broccoli right before dinner time!