Posted: · Updated: · By Kelly
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Stock your fridge or freezer and prepare dinner ahead of time to have this hearty Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie any night of the week.
I have a love-hate relationship with the holidays. I love the twinkle of the lights on the tree. I love scoring the perfect gift at a discount. I love having my family around me on Christmas morning.
What I don’t love is being torn in a million directions. There doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to shop, wrap, cook, entertain, etc.
A Stress-Free Holiday Season
So, I am on a mission to tackle the holidays smarter, not harder. I am going to make the holidays easy for a stress-free season. For my gift shopping, I am doing most of it online.
There is nothing worse than standing in those long lines at the stores this time of year. Besides, they frown upon you wearing your pajamas while you shop! This way, I hit a few buttons, whip out my debit card and the UPS man brings me my package in a few days.
When it comes to cooking and entertaining, I have that covered as well. I plan to do my grocery shopping at my local Knoxville Save-A-Lot. Not only do they have everything I need to make our favorite dishes, but I can save up to 40% everyday!
Now that is a smart way to manage my holiday budget! And with their Save-A-Lot Smart Shopper Club, you will get amazing recipes, clever kitchen hacks and entertainment tips delivered to your in-box!
Save Time With Make Ahead Meals
When I was growing up, our house was the hub of activity during the holidays. Mom did a LOT of cooking and baking from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Instead of making each dish individually, mom would make several dishes at once.
Then she would label and date them and refrigerate or freeze them until it was time to serve the meal. She was able to save time with make ahead meals. This gave her more time to spend with her family and friends.
I have followed mom’s tradition of make ahead meals during the holidays. I will spend all day Sunday cooking and baking, labeling, dating and freezing.
Then, when we are ready to eat, or have a function to attend, we just grab a dish from the freezer and we are good to go. One of my favorites is my Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie Recipe.
Save Time And Money With Sav-A-Lot
I have so many reasons I love to shop with Sav-A-Lot. The stores are smaller, so I can get my shopping done in less time. The staff is always friendly and often go out of their way to help me.
They offer their own exclusive brand as well as national brands. They offer fresh cut meat in-store every day and high quality fresh produce. You can shop for high quality food and household needs, with prices well below the other retailers.
When I was shopping for the ingredients for my Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie Recipe,I finished my shopping in 15 minutes and spent less than $15. Because my Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie Recipeserves eight, that comes out to less than $2 per person! (of course, prices will vary by location.)
Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
This Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie Recipeis perfect because it is so versatile. You can tweak it to fit your families taste or dietary restrictions.
If you are a vegetarian, just replace the protein with lentils and the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you want it less spicy, just leave out the taco seasoning.
Not a fan of corn or peas? Carrots and green beans work great with this recipe. Just have fun and don’t stress!
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Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie
Chrysa
Stock your fridge or freezer and prepare dinner ahead of time to have this hearty Make Ahead Southwestern Shepherd's Pie any night of the week.
4.41 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 540 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey beef or pork
- 1 pound red potatoes
- 1 small bag of frozen peas
- 1 small bag of frozen corn
- 1 green pepper chopped (optional)
- 1 red pepper chopped (optional)
- 1 can of black beans optional
- 1 small yellow onion chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup chicken stock divided
- One packet of taco seasoning
- salt and pepper
Instructions
In a medium pot, add potatoes and cover with water, bring to a boil and them simmer for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Drain and return to pot.
Add cream, salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup chicken stock.
Mash to preferred consistency.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent.
Add ground protein. Cook thoroughly. Reduce heat.
Add remaining chicken stock and taco seasoning. Next, add peas, carrots and black beans and peppers.
Cook until frozen vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Grease a 9x12 casserole dish. Add meat/vegetable mixture. Top with potatoes. Cover with foil. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 350. P
Place casserole in oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 34gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 522mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6g
I am not a nutritionist. These values were calculated automatically with the Spoonacular Food API.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
What is your tip or hack for a hassle free holiday? I would love to hear in the comments below!
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ABOUT CHRYSA + THRIFTY JINXY
Thrifty Jinxy helps you live a fabulous life on a frugal budget. By spending less on the boring everyday stuff, you can have more money to splurge on the things you REALLY want! We feature recipes, DIY ideas, money-saving tips, great on-line deals, and more! Read more...
