sofrito shepherd’s pie

**The following article was written by guest contributor, Kimberley Bostic.**

Most of it was bland, seasoned with only salt and pepper. However, one dish that I’ve always liked is Shepherd’s Pie. This of course is the one-dish meal that uses mashed potatoes as the “pie” and contains a beef “filling”. So I have taken the traditional English shepherd’s pie and infused it with classic Puerto Rican seasoning, known as sofrito, to give it a LOT more flavor. I make it a little easier to prepare by using pre-made sofrito and combining with fresh ingredients.

Sofrito Shepherd’s Pie

½ cup onions, finely chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons Goya Sofrito (this is found in the Ethnic food aisle and comes in a jar – it’s a combination of tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, onion, pepper and other spices)
1 pound lean ground beef (7% lean recommended)
2 tablespoons Spanish green olives stuffed with pimentos drained (optional) – Goya recommended
1 cup frozen peas - defrosted
1/3 cup tomato sauce
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
6 medium Yukon gold (or similar) potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
½ - 2/3 cup lowfat or skim milk

It’s a great dish for the cooler months coming up, and it’s a hit with the kids!

Peel potatoes and cut into medium-sized cubes. In large pot, boil potatoes in water (salted) about 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
In large skillet, begin browning ground beef until you start to see juices flowing (couple minutes). Add onion, pepper, green olives and sofrito and stir while browning beef (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and continue to brown beef a couple minutes more.  Add defrosted peas, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, take potatoes and mash with electric mixer adding butter and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste (go easy on salt as the meat mixture will be somewhat salty). Do not add too much milk; you want the potatoes to be pretty thick in consistency.
In 9x13 baking dish, spread the ground beef mixture evenly across the bottom. Then add the potatoes on top, spreading evenly over ground beef with a rubber spatula. Add cheese and place in oven at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes. Then turn broiler on for about 3 minutes and broil until cheese melts and potatoes start to turn light beige/brown.