Mortgage Burning Dinner

After paying off our home mortgage, the result of 30 years of monthly payments. What better way to celebrate this event than with a dinner with friends. When planning our menu our thoughts returned to last New Year's Eve's dinner with family and friends in Wales. Son-in-law Nick and I prepared a wonderful Shepherd's Pie. So we decided to replicate it for our Mortgage Burning Party.


Here is the recipe:


2 pounds of ground lamb
1 medium onion--chopped
3 carrots--chopped into pieces the size of the onions
1/2 cup frozen peas
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic--minced
1 cup of red wine
3/4 cup of Daddies Sauce*
5 pounds of potatoes
1 stick butter
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Saute the lamb in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until browned. Remove from heat, drain and put browned lamb into 9" X 13" casserole.

Saute onions, garlic and carrots in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Place mixture into casserole with lamb. Pour wine into saute pan and reduce while picking up bits of left behind lamb and veggie mix.

Pour wine off into the casserole. Let cool for a while. Add frozen peas and Daddies Sauce and mix all ingredients together. Set aside until potatoes are ready. May be covered and cooled overnight.

Peel potatoes and cut into small chunks. Fill a large pot with water, add potatoes and bring to boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and replace into pot. Using hand mixer whip potatoes adding butter in chunks and parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Using a spatula fold mashed potatoes over lamb mixture and spread evenly over the top.

Sprinkle parika over the potato layer. Place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Raise heat to broil and place pie under broiler until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Serves 8-10.

*Daddies Sauce is an English product and may be difficult to find in America. The flavor of Daddies Sauce is a combination of BBQ sauce and A-1 Steak Sauce.

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