From Easter Lamb to Shepherd's Pie

We traditionally host Easter dinner for our family and friends. Our traditional faire includes leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, harticort verts (Do you like that, CoCo?).

This year we did something different...We had Easter Lamb on a spit.


Our close neighbors are from Greece and frequently roast lambs on a spit when they have family gatherings. Since their Easter is not celebrated until next Sunday (the 19th), we asked them if they'd cook an Easter Lamb for us. We're so glad they did!!!

We only had 25 people, so there were plenty of leftovers. Oh, what to do?!?!?

Today I prepared Shepherd's Pie for our immediate family and for my parents and baby bro.


It's heating up in the oven right now and it smells so good!!!

The recipe comes from The Sunday News Family Cook Book.



This cookbook was published in 1962, and was, most likely, a wedding present to my parents when they married in 1964. The only recipe I know that my Ma ever cooked from this cookbook was Shepherd's Pie. Growing up, she made leg of lamb on my birthday. A few days later we had Shepherd's Pie. Every weekend I came home from college, she made leg of lamb on Saturday night. Sunday morning she would make mini-Shepherd pies for me to take back to school. Now that I'm living in the "real" world, she still makes leg of lamb for me on my birthday...but she gives me the leftovers for me to make the pie myself. :)

If you like lamb, and have leftovers, try this recipe!!!

Shepherd's Pie

Two tablespoons fat
1/4 cup chopped onion
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Two tablespoons flour
One teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
Two bouillon cubes dissolved in Two cups boiling water
[I didn't do the cubes in water...I just boiled 2 cups of Beef stock.]
One cup cooked or canned peas
One cup cooked diced celery
One tablespoon capers
Simmering time: 5 minutes
Two cups hot mashed potatoes
Oven temperature: 375 degrees
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: Four

Melt the fat in a heavy skillet. Add the onion; cook until straw-colored. Blend in the flour and seasonings. Add the dissolved bouillon cubes, meat, peas, celery and capers; simmer. Pour into a baking dish (2 qts.). Place spoonfuls of potatoes around the edge of the meat mixture. Bake in a moderately hot oven until potatoes are brown. Remove. Serve immediately.

Since I prepped this earlier today and has been chilled, this casserole will be in the oven for 45-minutes-60 minutes.