Modified Shepherd's Pie

(4 servings)

Corn is very hard to digest, especially if you have IBD. Since my son loves shepherd's pie, I figured out a way to make the dish so that I can eat it too. Rather than prepare it with corn, I make it with carrots. Also, I sometimes substitute the ground beef for ground chicken or pork.
(If you can handle onions and like them in a meal, simply chop one up and fry it at the same time as the ground meat. I personally can't digest them so did not include it in my recipe.)

Ingredients:

-1 package (about 450g) of ground beef, chicken, turkey, or pork (unfrozen)
-10 big potatoes
-2 spoonfuls of margarine (optional)
-3 carrots
-1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of salt
-1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of ground black pepper Ketchup (optional)

Recipe and cooking instructions:

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

-Fry the ground meat in a frying pan, drain, and place it in a baking pan. (Be careful about cooking the poultry or pork well! Unlike red meat, undercooking it can make you very sick.)

-Peel the carrots, and cut them into thin slices. Boil in a pot to cook (about 20 minutes), drain, and place them in the pan. Mix with the ground meat.

-Peel and cut the potatoes. Boil in a pot to cook (about 20 minutes), drain, and place them back in the pot to mash with 2 tablespoons of margarine as well as 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) of salt and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) of ground black pepper. (If you can't stomach margarine, it's okay not to use any.)

-Place the mashed potatoes in the pan, on top of the ground beef and carrots. Even out with a fork. (I've taken after my mother and make a criss-cross pattern in the even potatoes with my fork, but it's not necessary. It just looks nice.)

-Put the pan in the oven on the middle rack, and cook for about 20 minutes to make the top layer of potatoes slightly crispy.

-Take the pan out of the oven using oven mitts, and turn the oven off.

-Cut portions with a knife and serve with a spatula.

-Add ketchup on top of individual dishes for additional flavour (Not recommended when you are flared-up.)