Recipe: Spiced Beef and Potatoes

After making the Shepard's EmPIEnada's  I realized that the filling in them was so good it could also be a main dish, without the pie at all.  The spices add depth and flavor to what could easily be boring ground beef and the gravy rounds out the taste and provides a nice velvety texture.  So here is how I prepared it:


1 pound ground beef
1.5 cups frozen veggie mix (my bag had corn, green bean, carrot, and pea)
1 pouch instant garlic mashed potatoes
              Ingredients for boxed mashed potatoes: milk, butter, water
1 packet brown gravy mix
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Chile Powder
Garlic Powder


Begin by cooking all the components (meat, potatoes, veggies).  For the meat, after thawing, I seasoned it with a hefty amount of paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
When finished cooking I set it aside on a paper towel covered plate to drain.

For the potatoes, cook according to the box instructions but add the same seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, chile powder, and garlic powder to the liquid and bring to a boil.  Then stir in the packet.

 For the veggies simply boil in water for 5-6 minutes and drain.

Then in the pan you used to cook the meat wipe or pour out any large amounts of grease and prepare the gravy packet in the pan.  When the gravy begins to thicken add the veggies and the meat and stir to combine.