This is probably my most-favorite-est meal to make. It's easy enough to do, it's almost always good, and it's quite variable and easy to experiment with. Tonight was probably the 20th or so time I've made this, and every time I add something new in. I was kind of looking back at my Shep's Pie history, and it really has developed quite a bit. First, it was just onions, meat, potatoes, and cheese. Then I added some tomatoes to the sauce. Then I added peas and carrots. Then I thought why not, and added broccoli. Sometimes corn makes it in there, too. I went to an Irish pub/restaurant and got the Shep's Pie, and theirs had no cheese, which really disappointed me. But, they spiced the meat with cinnamon or nutmeg or something like that, and it made a really interesting taste. This really changed the way I cooked meat. Now I think of a meat sauce type meal as needing some sweetness. Especially with the potatoes and the cheese, the sweet spices really make a very tasty change to the dish!
Feeds 6 or 7, or feeds 4 with lots of leftovers! Total meal cost: $20-25 (I used pretty high quality ingredients this time, so it might have been more like $30. Usually it's cheaper though).