Pantry-shelf shepherd's pie in about 70 minutes

Shepherd's pie is one of those meals that puts a house at ease. Seasoned beef and vegetables under a layer of potatoes, browned on top, scooped hot onto the plate. The old way takes an afternoon of peeling and boiling. This one takes about 70 minutes, and most of the topping, the tomato, the vegetables all come off the shelf.

The flavor holds up. You still get the herbs, the gravy, the browned potato crust. What you skip is the peeling, the chopping, and the worry about anything going bad in the crisper drawer. It works on a weeknight, and it works when the store is not an option.

What comes off the shelf

A few pantry staples carry most of this dish, and they earn their spot.

• The Instant Vitamin Potato rehydrates into a creamy topping in a few minutes. No peeling, no boiling.
• The Freeze Dried Mixed Vegetables come back in five minutes of soaking. The Powdered Vitamin Tomato mixes into a thick paste with no half-used can left over, and the Powdered Vitamin Butter and Powdered Vitamin Milk make the potatoes rich without anything from the fridge.

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Hearty one-dish shepherd's pie

This serves about six and takes roughly 70 minutes start to finish. One dish, complete meal.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup rehydrated freeze dried mixed vegetables
• 1 medium fresh onion, diced
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 2 Tbsp paste equivalent, made from Powdered Vitamin Tomato and hot water
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the potato topping:

• Instant Vitamin Potato, prepared according to the label
• Powdered Vitamin Butter, prepared according to the label
• Powdered Vitamin Milk, prepared according to the label

Instructions

1. Get the pantry items ready. Soak the freeze-dried vegetables in water for 5 minutes, then drain. In a separate bowl, mix 2 Tbsp Vitamin Tomato powder with 2 Tbsp warm water until it forms a thick paste.
2. Cook the filling. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and break it up as it browns, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir in the flour and tomato paste until everything is worked in, then add the Worcestershire sauce. Pour in the beef broth and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the rehydrated vegetables.
3. Make the potato topping. While the filling simmers, mix 1 cup Instant Vitamin Potato powder with 2 1/2 cups hot water. Stir in the Vitamin Butter (2 Tbsp powder and 1 tsp water) and Vitamin Milk (1 Tbsp powder and 1/2 cup water) until the potatoes are creamy, then season to taste.
4. Assemble and bake. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the filling evenly in a large casserole dish, or leave it in the oven-safe skillet. Dollop the potatoes over the top and spread them to the edges. Drag a fork across the surface to make furrows, which crisp up in the oven. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden. Broil 1 to 2 minutes at the end if you want more color.
5. Rest, then serve. Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving. Skipping this gives you a runny scoop, so give it the time. It lets the filling set so each spoonful holds together. Add fresh parsley if you have it.

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A few things that help

• You can make it ahead. Assemble the whole casserole, cover it, and keep it in the fridge up to two days before baking. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time if it goes in cold.
• For a richer top, scatter shredded cheddar or parmesan over the potatoes before baking.
• A dash of smoked paprika in the meat gives it a smokier edge. Ground lamb in place of beef makes it more traditional.
• Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days, and the flavor deepens overnight. It makes an easy lunch.

The short version

This is proof that the Instant Vitamin Potato, Freeze Dried Mixed Vegetables, Powdered Vitamin Tomato, Powdered Vitamin Butter, and Powdered Vitamin Milk can put a hot, comforting meal on the table with real nutrition and almost no waste. Make it once this week. The next time the weather turns or the day runs long, you'll know it's an hour away from anything on your shelf.