This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.


There is nothing I love more than having a great meal with my family around the holidays. Winter meals are so much more comforting and hearty dishes full of yummy goodness are the best! It seems like we are always on a tight budget though, during the holidays more than ever. That is why I like to shop at Dollar General. We live in a rural area and Dollar General is only a few miles from us and the only "real" store within 30 minutes of my home. They have great prices and all the main holiday meal staples for much less than other stores. Plus, you can use coupons to save even more!

I headed out to Dollar General recently to see if I could find the ingredients to make one of my favorite holiday comfort dishes, Shepherds Pie. This is a family favorite and I was pleased to see I could find everything I needed like ground beef, shredded cheese, instant mashed potatoes (makes the dish easier and so much quicker), various herbs, tomato paste and mixed veggies. I used to think of Dollar General of a place that only sold basics before I moved here, and now I go there for meal staples all the time.

Comforting Shepherds Pie

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 can Mixed Vegetables
• 1/2 tsp. Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. Basil
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 small can Tomato Paste
• Few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• Few Glugs of White Cooking Wine
• 1 cup Beef or Chicken Stock
• 1-2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Package Instant Mashed Potatoes
• Sprinkle of Paprika for color

 Step 1:

Brown your ground beef in a large saucepan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

 

Step 2:

Add in your rosemary, basil, garlic powder and mixed vegetables to your meat. Mix until well blended.

 

Step 3:

Pour the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and white cooking wine into the pot with the meat, stir well and cook down for a few minutes.

 

Step 4:

Add the chicken or beef stock to the pot, mix well and good for 2-3 more minutes.

 

Step 5:

Pour the ingredients in the pot into a casserole dish and top with 1-2 cups shredded cheese according to your preference.

 

Step 6:

Prepare the instant mashed potatoes and spread them on top of the meat mixture in the casserole dish. You can make two packages of potatoes if you want more on top. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika for some color.

 

Step 7:

Bake the Shepherds Pie in the oven for 20-30 minutes until browned on top and let sit for a few minutes before servings.

For more great holiday meal ideas, check out the Dollar General easy meals section of their website. There, you will find yummy meals that can be made with ingredients all found for less at your local Dollar General store.

What is one of your favorite holiday family comfort meals?