Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Thirteen (Upside Down Shepard's Pie)

It's great when you can ask your 13 year old to make dinner, give him a few instructions, and then come home to an almost perfect dinner....a little upside down.  Spencer took his hand at making Shepard's Pie.   As what we now understand as a visual spatial learner (one who needs to see the whole picture), Spencer requested that I just tell him what I would like him to make, and then give him the instructions.  I started with the instructions first, "now chop the onions first"....and he quickly informed me that it was like telling him to identify an animal by taking out one of its organs.  OK, then...here it is.  "We are making Shepard's Pie, that is sauteed beef, frozen corn, and mashed potatoes made in a total of three layers then baked."  "OK," he insisted, "I can do it."  I did write down the order....meat, corn, potatoes.

After Tim and I left the house to do a few errands, Spencer started on his handiwork (with 85 year old Grandma in the background....just in case....)

Spencer first peeled and cut up about 4-5 potatoes and put in a pot to boil.  He then chopped an onion and crushed a few cloves of garlic with salt and pepper, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, and then added a pound of ground beef (we like to use local grass fed when we can get it), along with spices to taste.  After the potatoes were soft, he drained the water and mashed them with real butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Here is where reading directions from Mom might have helped.  He then put the meat in a long casserole dish, covered it with potatoes, and then added the corn.  Baked at 350 until everything was hot.

It was delicious - great simple flavors - but a little upside down.