Recipe #2 - Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie

This one has a bunch of good ingredients in it, yet they didn’t come together in a good way, at least for me. I made this last night in order to use up some leftovers (chicken broth, mashed potatoes, turkey burgers). As I was putting it together, I tasted it and thought "yuck." I added some worcestershire sauce in hopes it would brighten it up a little. (I also forgot to add peppers and had no sour cream.)

The casserole looked tempting in the oven, with the gravy bubbling around the mashed potatoes. I was hoping the spices & flavors would come together as it cooked. In the meantime I threw together a salad in case it was inedible.

It wasn’t much better than I thought, although some sour cream might have helped. I was surprised that Don thought it was OK and might even be better the next day. I doubt I will make it again, definitely won’t make it from scratch. I should have remembered what Debbie had said about it when she made this awhile back.

One of the aspects, of being the cook, that worked against me is that I knew what spices were in the dish so they were very prominent (especially the thyme and paprika, and I used less than the recipe for both). After it cooked, the paprika toned down a little but the thyme was still overpowering. I didn’t sprinkle paprika on top since I don’t much care for the taste.

I was itching to make something from "365" since there is someone else out there who is attempting to cook their way through the book. They are almost up to Recipe #50. I like how they’re cooking recipes in the order of the cookbook, anyone that follows their blog will know what’s next on the menu. They also have photos that look "real" vs. the staged ones you see in magazines (I mean that in a good way).

I really enjoy the honesty in what they write. I feel comforted in knowing I am not the only one put off by the kitchen messes that some of the recipes create. They’ve also mentioned that some recipes are rather expensive, for the kind of (mediocre) meal they produce. I don't mean to sound overly negative! It's just that these sorts of details are often passed over.