Quick And Easy Shepherd's Pie

This is a super-quick and relatively simple version of Shepherd's Pie that can be made as a quick meal for several people using only a few ingredients.

Ingredients

 * 1lb. ground beef
 * 5 medium Idaho potatoes (or for speed, 3 cups of prepared instant mashed potatoes)
 * 1 can of corn or peas
 * 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
 * 1 tbls. all-purpose flour
 * 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
 * 2 tbls. margarine or butter
 * 1/2 cup milk

Preparation

 * 1) Prepare instant potatoes according to the package.
 * If you're using whole potatoes, peel them, cut them into 1" cubes and boil them until they're ready to be mashed. Once they're mashed with a soft enough consistency that the cubes crumble when you poke them with a fork. Add salt, butter and milk.
 * 1) When potatoes are ready, add pepper and garlic powder.
 * 2) In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat, draining most of the fat when it's browned.
 * 3) While the beef is browning, put the flour into an 8-ounce cup or coffee mug, and fill the rest of the container with cold water. Stir until the mixture is blended.
 * 4) When the fat is drained from the beef, reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the water/flour mixture, being sure to coat the beef evenly.
 * 5) In a 9" glass casserole dish or cake pan, add the ground beef mixture, spreading it evenly along the bottom.
 * 6) Drain the corn/peas and layer them on top of the beef.
 * 7) Spread the mashed potatoes on that layer
 * 8) Sprinkle cheese on top (optional).
 * 9) Cook in a microwave on high for 5 minutes, enough to heat the vegetables (and melt the cheese),or bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serves 3-4.