Shepherd's Pie

This can be made either with hamburger or leftover ground roast beef.
If you don't have leftover mashed potatoes, boil 5 potatoes and mash with milk and butter. If Julia is eating you might need 6 potatoes. She loves mashed potatoes!

1 lb lean ground beef
2 small onions chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot minced (optional)
1/3 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
fresh ground pepper
1 can creamed corn (optional)

In skillet over medium heat, cook beef, stirring to break up meat, until brown; pour off fat. Add onions, garlic and carrot (if using). Cook until tender. Add tomato paste, thyme, worcestershire sauce and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 or 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Spoon the meat mixture into 2 L baking dish; if using creamed corn spread over meat and then spread mashed potatoes evenly on top. Bake in 375 f oven for 35 minutes.
Makes 5 - 6 servings.

Lasagne

If I don't have time to make spagetti sauce for the lasagne, sometimes I just brown some ground beef, onion and garlic and add two cans sauce then proceed.

2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 egg
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

12 lasagne noodles (cook as directed on package or buy non-cooking)

In a 13 X 9 inch baking dish put 1/3 of spagetti sauce. Top with 3-4 noodles.
Spread 1/2 of cheese/egg mixture over noodles and spoon a small amount of sauce over.
Top with 3-4 more noodles and spread with rest of cheese/egg mixture covered with a small amount of sauce. Put 3-4 noodles on top and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with mozarella and bake at 350F for 40- 45 minutes.