Crescent Shepherd's Pie

This is (are you ready?) shepherd's pie with crescent roll topping. You can use the store-bought crescent rolls if you would like to. But I wouldn't like to. Probably because store-bought rolls contain enriched bleached flour, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, and several color additives. Not on my list of favorite ingredients.

To make a homemade crescent roll topping...

Mix 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 2 1/4 tsp quick-rising or bread machine yeast in a bowl. In a larger bowl, mix 1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 cup warm milk. Pour the dry into the wet, mixing with a fork. When everything is incorporated, use your hands to mix in 2 Tablespoons of softened butter. Knead for 2 or 3 minutes; place in bowl and cover with a cloth for 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the rest of the pie. Cut an onion into strips and saute them in a tablespoon of olive oil. After a couple of minutes add a pound of lean ground beef. Then get to choppin'...

3 to 4 carrots
2 zucchini
3 small red potatoes
1 package mushrooms
4 cloves garlic

Once the meat is brown, add the veggies to the pot and let them cook for a few minutes. Then stir in a few tablespoons of flour, followed by a can of beef broth. Add salt, pepper, basil (or other herb), and a few dashes of hot sauce. Let the sauce thicken while the crescent dough finishes rising.

After the 45 minutes are up, take the dough and flatten it out. Cut it into thin strips. Dump all the beef and vegetables into a large casserole, and top with the strips of dough.

Put in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. This is one of those meals that I like to fix a few hours ahead of time and let it sit in the oven until suppertime.

Notice the chunk missing in the corner. That was Little Bit's supper. She LOVED it.




Enjoy!