I wrote this down as she was telling me how to make it, and being the great cook that she is, she couldn't tell me exact quanities - so you'll see strange directions below:

Maggie's Shepherd's Pie

2 lb ground chuck
1 green pepper
1 large onion
3-4 stalks celery
2-3 large cloves garlic
Olive oil, veg. oil, butter
salt/pepper to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. clove
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. Bell's poultry seasoning
1 large can corn, drained
Mashed potatoes

Chop all the vegetables fine, then saute till very soft in a combo of olive oil, veg. oil, and butter - (She says "don't skimp"!) This is NOT a low cholesterol recipe!

Add the hamburger and cook through till brown and finely crumbled, breaking apart with spoon as it cooks. Add seasonings.

Let simmer slowly 15-30"

Pour into large flat baking dish or metal pan. Top with corn layer, then mashed potatoes. She makes the mashed potatoes using garlic in the cooking water, then mashing with more butter and milk to somewhat stiff consistancy - it's better not to be too soupy textured.

Spread mashed potatoes over all.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-45" or until potatoes absorb some juices and start browning, and it's bubbling nicely in the center as well as the edges.

Most other Shepherd's Pie recipes I've tasted have a gravy base, but this does not - it's just got great tasting juices which somewhat absorb into the potatoes, but is still pretty juicy rather than a thick gravy consistancy.

It's pretty spicy - more so than other recipes which I've found to be a little bland.

Hope you try it -

By the way, having lived in Northfield, and knowing what a huge campus the Northfield part was, I can't believe they'll let that go - it's enormous, and they built many new gorgeous buildings on that campus back about 10 years ago or so - it's much prettier than the Mount Hermon campus buildings. Also, that school has always had a reputation for having lots of deep pocket financial support from alumni, etc. The little town of Northfield will be very badly affected if that campus closes down - they are very dependent on it.

June