What to do with leftovers: Shepherd's Pie

We’ve been hosting the Holiday’s ever since we moved into our house in 2012. This is mostly because we’ve got the little ones and it’s easier for us not to have to load everyone (and all of the stuff - diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, sippy cups etc.) into the car and try to figure out naps at someone else’s house.  I love having everyone over and the rest of the family does too.  I’m sure I make a better host than a guest, because I’m incapable of sitting down for very long and enjoy being busy in the kitchen, content just listening to the happy squeals of the children playing with our family and friends.

Although I try to send people home with leftovers, hosting means that we end up with most of them.  While I could fix myself the exact same plate over and over again and be in heaven, Paul gets tired of leftovers after about one meal. This presents a problem, since I am the self-proclaimed the food waste police.

Fortunately, probably in anticipation of me forcing the entire family to eat nothing but leftovers for a week, Paul solved this little problem by picking up a packet of Shepherd’s pie mix when we were at Paddy’s the day before Christmas. I had actually never made a Shepherd’s pie before, but sure enough, after a lunch of leftovers, Paul mentioned that we might want to use the rest of the leftover mashed potatoes to make one that night. At first I resisted, feeling like it was too early not to eat another few plates of Christmas dinner.  But, after realizing what short work the kids had already made of the leftover Irish bacon, I acquiesced.  Marriage is, after all, about compromise (and Paul was at least willing to eat the leftover potatoes again).

I thought there was a pound of ground beef in the freezer but we only had half a pound. This actually worked out perfectly because we were working with a limited amount of leftover mashed potatoes anyway. I added a bit of volume to the filling but throwing in some celery, garlic, carrots and peas to supplement the meager about of beef we had.

I’ve never made Shepherd’s pie before.  Granted, this one was made with leftovers and a mix, but boy was it simple. Here’s how we did it: 

• First we preheated the oven to 400F.
• Then we sauteed garlic, an onion, carrots and celery in a pan until they were soft but not browned.  

• Then we added the ground beef, breaking it up into small bits until the meat was cooked through.
• To this we added some frozen peas, tossing them with the meat and other vegetables until they just warmed through.
• Because we were using a small amount of meat, we added approximately half of the Shepherd’s pie packet to about ⅔ cup of water and stirred.
• We then added the water and seasoning mix to our meat mixture and brought the whole thing to a simmer before turning the heat off.  
• We poured the mixture to an oven proof dish and covered it with a layer of our leftover mashed potatoes.

• I decorated the top with the tines of a fork, per Paul’s instructions, dotted the top with some butter and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
• By then it was all bubbly and starting to make the house smell delicious.

The only thing I would do over again is broil the top for a few minutes to brown it a bit more.

I’m already thinking about how to make an another version of this with leftover turkey, green beans, carrots and bechamel.

 Who knew compromise, and leftovers, could taste so good?

Soup Weather: White Bean and Ham Soup

I can hardly believe how we’ve gone from sun to soup so quickly. The kids are a constant reminder to be adaptable because they don’t let these changes get to them. If anything, are excited to get our their coats, hats and gloves. Lucky for me, they love soup.  It’s about the only way I can get Emmett or Isla to eat a vegetable. Plus, if I make a big pot of soup on Sunday, I can rest assured that I have something in the house (other than leftover Halloween candy, frozen pizza or mac ‘n cheese) to feed hungry bodies.  #winning.

I like to partially puree the soup so make it thick but without sacrificing all of the chunks.  Isla won’t eat it unless her portion is completely pureed but Emmett, who is getting better about that sort of thing, ate a bowl chunks and all, proudly exclaiming “I just ate a piece of carrot! On purpose!” Eve, of course, is the best and eats it all with abandon.  I’m just waiting for her to get picky but holding out hope that it won’t happen (it will).

White Bean and Ham Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 ham bone (optional)
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham or Irish bacon
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 can white (navy) beans or garbanzo beans*

*Usually I would use navy beans for this but I used garbanzos because that’s what I had in the cupboard.

Heat butter in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, rosemary and  thyme and cook until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if onions and garlic start to brown too much.

Add potatoes and ham bone (if using) and cook 2 minutes more.

Add chicken stock and turn the heat up until it reaches a boil, scraping brown bits from the sides of the pan.

Turn heat down to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add beans and diced ham or Irish bacon and cook for 15 minutes more.

Partially puree soup (either by blending about half of it in a blender, or partially pureeing it with a stick blender, making sure to leave chunks of vegetables and meat in tact).

Serve warm with chopped herbs and soda bread.

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Linda, my mother-in-law and the matriarch of the Barry family, came over from the Philippines at almost the exact same time as Paddy, my father-in-law landed in Chicago from Ireland (via Belize. Long story...).  They met through the Legion of Mary in the 1960’s when Paddy was the leader of the group at a church on the North side of Chicago.  Linda showed up at one of his meetings and promptly took charge. Although she passed before I came into the picture, I know, 100% that she was that kind of woman. She made things happen, she got involved, she was a doer, a giver, and a connector. You will hear this from everyone who ever met her.  

She’s the reason for so many things when it comes to my husband and his family, including the success of the Irish Boutique, the family business.  As Paddy tells me, she would remember every single one of her customers and details of their lives and families even if she hadn’t seen them for months or years. When she would go on buying trips to Ireland she would bring back suitcases full of specific items requested by customers, having kept in mind what they were looking for and their personal preferences.

She’s the reason her kids love rice and Paul has to have it most nights, which simplifies my life immensely (thank you!).  She’s also the reason why adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, is always well received at my house.  Although, if I’m being honest, I’ve never met anyone who has tried adobo and not liked it. It’s so simple, yet that mix of tangy vinegar, garlic and salty-umami flavor from the soy sauce and the meat make it hard not to love.  

Adobo is so easy to make on the stovetop and finished in the broiler, it’s almost embarrassing to have made a slow cooker version. Almost. But I’m not above simplifying anything so long as it is still delicious. While I know this wasn’t how Linda would have made it, I think she would approve and be happy to see her grandchildren eating adobo with abandon.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

2lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed

8-10 cloves of garlic, crushed with the back of a knife

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

½ cup distilled white vinegar (or rice or apple cider vinegar)

¼ cup soy sauce

Chicken adobo is usually cooked in vinegar and soy sauce and finished under the broiler to brown and crisp up the skin.  Because I made this version in the slow cooker, I removed the skin and browned the meat at the beginning then let the meat slip off the bone and rest in the sauce until I was ready to serve it.

Either in a large pan or the insert of your slow cooker, sear meat over medium high heat until it is browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Add garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, soy sauce and vinegar to slow cooker insert with chicken. 

Turn on low for 4-5 hours turning the chicken occasionally so that each sides takes a turn being submerged in sauce.

Once chicken is tender enough to fall off the bone easily, remove the bones and allow to rest in the sauce until you are ready to serve. It is even better the next day!

There are many, many variations of adobo.  Chicken and pork or a combination of chicken and pork are most common and often times coconut milk is added to the sauce. I serve adobo with white rice, a cooked vegetable like broccoli or sweet potatoes and something fresh, like cucumber and tomatoes dressed with a little bit of fish sauce, lime juice and brown or cane sugar.  The other day, I served it with that type of salad and Paul told me that his mom always did the same thing. Great minds…