Comfort Food from My Motherland

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Though I was born and raised in Kentucky, Great Britain holds a special place in my heart. My mother was British, and some summers we visit family in Wales.

In addition to growing up with Hot Browns and other Southern fare, we ate plenty of British favorites, including Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie.

What's the difference between the two? If you were a shepherd's wife, you made a pie with vegetables lamb and called it "Shepherd's Pie." If you didn't tend a flock, you likely used beef and called it "Cottage Pie." Whatever you call it, you use a variety of vegetables and top the "pie" with mashed potatoes. It's comfort food for sure, but this version is easy on the waistline.

I like them both, but lean beef is both more affordable and more readily accessible to most people.

Traditionally, one serving has almost 400 calories, more than 20 grams of fat and almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

My version has 271 calories, less than five grams of fat and about 300 milligrams of sodium.

Click here to get the recipe.

Chef Tips:
  • To keep the lean beef from sticking to the pan, I cook the beef and onions at the same time.
  • I prefer to use French-cut green beans in this recipe.
  • For a vegetarian version, use soy crumbles or cooked lentils and vegetable broth.
What are your favorite foods from your family's homeland? Do you ever cook them yourself? Are they healthy?