Ane Mulligan's Best Country Hearty Shepherd's Pie

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane Mulligan has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction. Ane firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. You can find Ane on her website and blog: http://www.anemulligan.com

Ane's Latest Book Release: A Southern Season, Stories from a Front Porch Swing

A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan 

With Broadway stardom within her reach, Morgan James returns home in winter to help an old friend. Maybe it s just nostalgia, but when she sees him again, an old flame rekindles. When she s called back to NYC to take the lead in a new musical, will fame be worth losing the man she loves?

Four seasons. Four stories. Each one set in the enchanting world of the South. These are the kinds of stories your grandmother told you from a front porch swing. Buy the anthology HERE.

Ane Mulligan’s Best Country Hearty Shepherd's Pie

3-4 cross-cut beef shanks

1 small onion (or ½ large one), diced

olive oil

1 – 4 cloves of garlic (depends on tastes. Can one have too much garlic? Nay, say I.)

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

3 – 4 potatoes, cooked and mashed

Pre-cook the cross-cut beef shanks in a crockpot all day, covered in water with a Tblsp of Better Than Bullion brand Beef Base. 

About an hour before you plan to eat, remove the meat from the crockpot, break into small pieces. Set aside. Peel and cut potatoes into 2” pieces and boil. When ready, mash and set aside.

Brown the onion and garlic in some olive oil. When it's slightly caramelized (5 minutes or so) add the mushrooms and cook till brown. Add the mushrooms and peas, and cooked beef. Cook for 5 minutes.

Put the meat mixture in a baking dish, top with the mashed potatoes and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°

This is an old family staple, a one-dish meal. It's also cheap. Serve it with bread rolls. It's the kind of thing you simply throw together. I guessed at the amounts. You can adjust them to your tastes. Serves 4-6 but can be expanded easily.