Individual Shepherd's Pies in Baked Potatoes

One of the most sobering moments of my life was when I came to the realization that I would die before being able to make all of the recipes I wanted to try.

That may seem silly to a lot of people, but it hit me like a ton of (recipe) books!
It was years ago; I had been going through old cooking magazines and was overwhelmed at the amount of recipes that I was keeping, which I wanted to try making at least once. Did I narrow them down, throw some of the magazines away, or donate some of my cookbooks, you ask? Of course not, but I must tell you that I am very, very happy when I eventually make something which I've been eyeing for years!

I saw a photo of these lovely Individual Shepherd's* Pies in a "Women's Weekly Cookery" Magazine (I guess it's not for men!) which my Aunt Elvira gave me many years ago, and have wanted to make them since then. Well, that day finally came, and I did it; of course I knew it would be simple, but I just LOVED the presentation, so I decided to post this as an idea for a Valentine's Day dinner. It's easy to make, can be prepared in advance and tastes delicious; what could be better?

INDIVIDUAL SHEPHERD'S PIES in BAKED POTATOES

 Serves 4 to 6

4 to 6 large baking potatoes

a little butter, salt and half & half (or milk)

1/2 recipe of Shepherd's (Cottage) Pie

Bake the potatoes in a 375º F (190º C) oven for about 50 minutes or until cooked.

Remove from oven and scoop out the center...

leaving a little potato as a shell.  

Remove the skin from the top part of the potato which was cut out, and mash the remaining potato with some butter, salt and half and half (or milk) to a creamy consistency.

Then fill the potato shells with the prepared meat.

To make the potatoes look the same as the ones in my photos, place the mashed potato in a piping bag with a large tip (I used a Dessert Decorator Pro, but I wouldn't recommend buying one as they break quite easily) or you can just spoon the potatoes on top, 

and fluff them up with a fork.

Place the potatoes in a baking dish and bake in 375º F (190º C) oven for about 20 minutes. 

To brown the top, place under the broiler for a minute or two, 

but be careful as they will brown very quickly.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

You may also enjoy these ideas for Valentine's Day~

Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken

Individual English Trifles

Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup

*Remember that authentic Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb; this is truly Cottage Pie, but most Americans wouldn't know what Cottage Pie is, therefore, I've entitled it as the former.