The other day I had a batch of rice and beans lying around and decided to make mashed potatoes. They were initially entirely unrelated culinary endeavors. But, I didn't really have a plan for the mashed potatoes. It's just starting to look like winter and I like mashed potatoes when it's cold. I was staring at the rice and beans in the refrigerator, though, and was wondering if there were any Latin American-inspired dishes that had mashed potatoes in them. Not that potatoes are entirely foreign. They just tend not to be in the mashed form. Really, one of the only dishes that I can think of that has intentionally mashed potatoes in it is shepherd's pie. So, I decided to make Shepherd's Pie w/ Pinto Beans, Mexican Rice, & Mashed Potatoes.
It turns out that mashed potatoes does indeed go incredibly well rice and beans. So, I decided to mix it up a little bit more with this variation today. I used Slow Cooker No-fry Refried Pinto Beans w/ Carolina Reapers, Mexican Rice w/ Sweet Potatoes & Carolina Reapers, and raided my freezer. This added in a mix of sweet potatoes, apples, corn, and peas. A was a little bit worried about having mashed beans and mashed potatoes in the same dish. But there was enough textural difference to bite into! And I highly recommend trying your hand at Mexican-style shepherd's pie. This might be one of my new favorite things to make. It would be a great holiday dish. It's practically an entire holiday meal mixed into one dish. You can, obviously, mix and match your own favorite ingredients, though. You don't have to add in apples and Carolina reapers.
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Variations of Mexican Shepherd's Pie
I really enjoy making shepherd's pie. It's a fairly simple recipe to make. It's really just a casserole with mashed potatoes on top. You can easily mix and match different ingredients. I often make it with lentils instead of meat. Although, it's incredibly fun to realize that rice and beans also work incredibly well!
Add the refried beans ingredients to a crock pot with the water. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the desired consistency is reached.
Add all of the Mexican rice ingredients into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients, followed by the rice and water. Press the cook button on the rice cooker. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.
For the mashed potatoes, peel and cube the potatoes. Place in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and place back in the pot. Mix in other ingredients and mash with a potato masher until light and fluffy.
Assemble Shepherd's Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add a layer of refried beans, rice, corn, peas, mashed potatoes, and cheese.
Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the ingredients are heated throughout and the cheese begins to brown.
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