Week 15 - Day 2

*According to Wikipedia, Cottage Casserole (or Shepherd's Pie)

originated in the UK and Ireland

beginning in the 1700's

when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor.

Cottages were modest homes for rural workers.

In early cook books, this dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind,

and the pie dish was lined with the chopped meat mixture

and covered with a mashed potato crust.

The term "Shepherd's Pie" originated in 1877

when the main meat ingredient used was lamb instead of beef.

Gather your ingredients and supplies for today's lesson.

Prepare the butternut squash:

Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

(The squash is very hard to cut.  You may want to ask for help from your instructor.)

Cut the ends off the squash.

Cut each half of the squash into slices.

Cut the slices in half to make them easier to hold.

The remove the hard outer skin.

Slice into bite-sized pieces.

Set aside.

Make the mashed potatoes as directed in steps 3-9 in the Healthy Home Ec book.

I used red potatoes and left the skins on.

Make sure you scrub the potatoes first.

Brown the ground beef (or ground lamb).

Drain and add the minced onion, salt and pepper.

Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce...

and whole grain flour.

See steps 11-14.

Add the peas and squash as directed.

Transfer to the casserole dish.

Top with the mashed potatoes.

Spread evenly over the top.

At this point, you could cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil,

label, and freeze for up to 3 months (see step 18).

Or you could eat it today (see step 17).

"There will never cease to be poor in the land.

Therefore I command you,

'You shall open wide our hand to your brother,

to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'"

(Deuteronomy 15:11)

"The Lord raises up the poor from the dust;

He lifts the needy from the ash heap

to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,

and on them He has set the world."

(1 Samuel 2:8)

"The poor man cried,

and the Lord heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles."

(Psalm 34:6)

"Whoever mocks the poor

insults his Maker;

he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished."

(Proverbs 17:5)

Aren't you glad that God has left us with an instruction manual

on how to live rightly?

I hope you are urgently seeking wisdom in His Word, the Bible.

Have a great night my friend!