More Slow Food Fast

Another fave around here is skillet shepherd's pie...mmmm.  I'm a little shaky on quantities (that should give you an idea how important they are to the general recipe) so these are estimations.  Feel free to improvise lavishly.

Half a pound of ground beef
Seasoning *
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 bag frozen hash browns **
1 can low-sodium cream soup
1 soup can worth of milk

*I have tried all sorts of seasonings with this and they've all been an adventure.  The last time I made it I used a tsp of chili flakes and a tsp of dried sage, but I've done oregano before and that was great, or a pre-mixed seasoning like Mrs. Dash.  My husband likes it with Montreal-style steak spice.  Whatever.  Just be aware of your sodium intake because the soup makes it saltier.
**Again, a bit of an option here.  The bags of frozen hash browns just simplify the dinner and really could be switched to any frozen potato (like tater tots or what not) or you could use leftover mashed potatos if you have them.

Brown your meat.  This is also the time to add other things to brown if you have them.  Maybe some onion or a can of mushrooms or some garlic...stuff like that.  Completely not necessary, though, if you don't have it.  If the ground beef wasn't lean then drain off the fat and add your frozen vegetables and seasonings.  Toss it all, let stuff defrost a bit and smooth it out on the bottom of the skillet.  Add your potato product of choice and level it.  In a separate bowl whisk the soup and milk together and pour evenly over the potatoes.  If you have cheese on hand feel free to grate a bit over the top, but no worries if that isn't in the fridge or the budget.  Pop your skillet in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  The liquid will be absorbed and the potatoes a little browned around the edges.  The total - maybe $3.00 and it easily serves four.