Cooking With Rachel – Is It As Yummo As It’s Cracked Up To Be?

We are confirmed Food Network junkies. We’re on a first name basis with Alton, Rachel, Guy, Giada, Sandra, Bobby, and the rest of the bunch (in our own minds, that is). I fantasize about being the Next Food Network Star even though I’ve never actually tasted truffles nor cooked anything French, and I’ve only baked cakes twice in my life. Regardless, our admiration isn’t limited to the couch. Oh no. Not at all. We routinely get a craving based on something we’ve seen, and decide to give it a whirl ourselves.

Such was the case with this weekends 30 Minute Meals episode with the queen of EVOO herself, during which she cranked out a thanksgiving themed Shepherds Pie using ground turkey, a basic mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery) and sweet peas with turkey gravy, and topped with mashed sweet potatoes and cheddar cheese. Looks tempting!

So tonight was the big test. Could we do it, how much time would it take, and would we like the result?

Well, we grabbed the ingredients over lunch at the local Safeway, and upon arrival at home set about creating our dinner. From memory. Without a recipe.

Peeled yams into a pot of boiling water with a bit of salt. Two stalks of celery sliced lengthwise and chopped. Two carrots grated. Half an onion chopped. Into the pan with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Saute medium.

Remove the mirepoix from the pan, add a bit more oil and toss in the turkey. Salt, pepper, and a bit of poultry spice. Spoon out the liquid so the meat actually browns. Meanwhile, drain the yams and mash with a bit more salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of butter.

Nuke the gravy (we cheated and bought premade), add the mirepoix to the turkey, and mix it all together. Taste, add a bit more poultry seasoning, then heat through. Dump into metal loaf pan.

Slather on mashed yams, cover with medium cheddar, and pop into the preheated 450 degree convection toaster oven and wait 6 minutes, until……

Ding! Pull it out to find a deliciously tempting brown on the cheese with bubbles around the edge. Hmmm, looks inviting and smells good!

But how does it taste?

I give it a solid 7 on a scale of 10, with the weak point being the somewhat bland store bought gravy (Rachel made her own using boxed turkey stock). The other half gave it a 6 and wasn;t sure she liked the flavor combination of the cheddar and not too sweet yams. We also forgot to add the frozen sweet peas to the mix, and they would have been a nice addition. Overall, though, definitely edible and filling but not quite “Yummo”. Time? A bit over at about 40 minutes.