I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before how I enjoy making big, hearty dinners on Sunday nights.  I try really hard to get all my chores and errands done on Saturday so I can have all day Sunday to just relax.  Sometimes I can accomplish this and when I do, I enjoy having the extra time to think of a great dinner for me and Michael.

When our friends were in a few weeks ago, I had cooked two pork loin roasts in the crockpot and was able to portion one and freeze it for future meals.  Down to the last of my portions, I decided to make a simple Sheppard’s pie since I also had some carrots and instant mashed potatoes on hand.  Never having made Sheppard’s pie before, I decided to base my recipe off of the one in Frannie Farmer’s cookbook.  (This is the cookbook to use if you ever want to know how to make anything!)

I love when carrots have been slow cooked with a roast.  The flavor is just amazing!  Knowing that my carrots wouldn’t have this benefit, I decided to boil them in beef broth before adding them to the pork mixture.  I cooked them until they were tender, but not mushy, and transferred them to a casserole dish.  I cut my roast into chunks and added it to the carrots.  I heated about a tablespoon of butter in small pan and added about three tablespoons of flour and whisked in the thawed roast juice to make a thick gravy.  Once the gravy was ready, I added it to the carrots and roast and mixed well.  Then I made my instant mashed potatoes and spread those on top.  Everything went into the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  What came out was a warm, hearty meal.