Andouille Shepherd's Pie

Today is Mardi Gras! I am celebrating Fat Tuesday with this super spicy Andouille Shepherd's Pie. I found the recipe in Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Tastes cookbook. I have had this book for many, many years but I have never made anything out of it. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to make at least one recipe in each of my cookbooks. This one is perfect for a Mardi Gras feast! Also, I was challenged to make some type of pie this month!


This meal was a labor of love. I spent 2 days making this Andouille Shepherd's Pie. I have not made mashed potatoes in over a year and I forgot what a pain they are. To make the entire entree I think I used 5 bowls, 3 pots/pans and countless measuring cups and spoons. It was definitely alot more work than I am used to. And I'm not posting the recipe here because it is three pages long and I don't feel like typing it all.

First step is to peel and cut up six pounds of potatoes. Then you boil them and mash them together with butter and whipping cream. There are 9 different spices you combine together to make a bowl full of seasoning mix. Then come the veggies. Julienne and chop red, yellow and green peppers, carrots, garlic, celery and onions. The, julienned veggies get tossed with some seasoning. The chopped veggies get sauteed and then mixed in with an evaporated milk and egg mixture. Then off to the fridge for some cooling. That was where I stopped for day one.

Tonight I had to grind up the andouille sausage and them mix it together with ground beef and bread crumbs. Then all of that got mixed into the chilled veggie and egg mixtures. Spread all of that on the bottom of a 13x9 pan, top with the julienned veggies and then spread the mashed potatoes over all. Bake for 50 minutes. The juices from the meats boiled up and spilled over the edge of mine and started smoking when they landed on the bottom of my hot oven. So I pulled it 10 minutes early so that I wouldn't be eating a smoky dinner.

I'm glad I went through all that work. This dish is amazing! It is one of the spiciest things I have ever eaten. It made me sweat! Really. I had sweaty armpits and a moist brow! That has never happened to me before. But it was perfect because the potatoes cut the heat. This can feed about 10 people though. I made two leftover lunches and still have 2/3rds left. I'm going to bring it to my friend to feed her family dinner.

Check out the roundup for Waiter, There's Something in my . . . Pie! hosted this month by Cook Sister later this month.