How to Make Your Shepherd's Pie Recipe Fancy

Traditional shepherd's pie, with its combination of meat, vegetables and crispy mashed potato crust, is a popular, filling dish. But if it's still not enough for you or you simply want it a little more extravagant, cheddar cheese, sour cream and rice additions might just be what you're looking for.

Things You'll Need

• Shepherd's pie recipe, minus mashed potatoes
• 3 cups cooked instant rice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Medium-size skillet
• 12-by-9-inch casserole dish

Instructions

1. Prepare your favorite shepherd's pie recipe, omitting the step that instructs you to prepare a mashed potato topping. If you don't have a good basic shepherd's pie recipe, here's a quick, easy recipe: In a medium skillet, cook 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef and a medium chopped onion until the meat is browned and the onion transparent. Add 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas and carrots or mushrooms and saute until the vegetables are cooked through. Add a half-cup of beef broth and a tablespoon of tomato sauce to the ground beef base.

2. Transfer the ground beef base into the casserole dish, lightly greased. Set the oven to broil.

3. Combine the pre-cooked rice, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and egg in another bowl. Spread evenly over the ground beef mixture.

4. Broil the shepherd's pie for around seven or eight minutes, or until the rice topping is golden brown. Remove, cool for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute another cheese for the cheddar, if you want something new.