Can you believe it's been almost a year since I've posted up a Tuesday's Tasting? I certainly can't. Tonight marks the triumphant return of Tuesday's Tasting with a selection that is sure to please. Reader's, I give to you Trader Joe's Shepard's Pie.When I was growing up, Shepard's pie was a go to for my Mom, along with tuna casserole, meatloaf, and baked chicken and rice. When it comes to Shepard's pie, what's not to love about beef, vegetables and mashed potatoes layered on top of each other. It is, and always will be comfort food at it's best. Well, comfort food for non-vegetarians at least. As good as this Shepard's pie is, it can't touch my Mom's...love you Mom!
Now let's talk about TJ's Shepard's Pie. The beef is tender and flavorful, not ground but shredded like it might be brisket. The vegetable medley consists of peas, carrots, corn and green beans, and they actually taste fresh. The peas really stood out in the mix, still somewhat crisp, and still bright green, I did not doctor the photo below. There were no green-gray mushy peas here folks. As for the mashed potatoes, they were good, not great, but good. J said she thought the mashed potatoes could be better, but overall it was good Shepard's pie. Finally the gravy, rich and tasty, it adds a nice bit of flavor to the whole package.It couldn't have been any easier to make either, 9-10 minutes in the microwave on high and 1 minute of rest and it was done. I will warn you though, I peeled the plastic off one corner of the plastic dish to vent it during cooking, just like I was told too, and the gravy bubbled out and over the sides, making a nice mess of the glass dish that spins in my microwave. Save yourself the microwave cleanup and put the Shepard's Pie dish on another plate to cook.
If you remember Shepard's pie from your childhood, or if you're just a shepard's pie fan in general, I strongly encourage you to head to your local Trader Joe's and pick up a package or three of Trader Joe's Shepard's Pie, it's good. Really.
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