I used to fear shepherd's pies, but that was probably due to my dislike for onions and bell peppers, not due to anything inherent about the dish. Now that I have overcome my vegetable phobias, I've found that this is something I could come to enjoy. Using the dregs of our stores -- a half pound of ground beef, half a can of tomatoes, and the last few stalks of celery and carrots -- I made a simple bolognese-type sauce. While this was cooking, I started boiling the last two russet potatoes we had. It turned out to be just barely enough potatoes to cover dish. Add some cream and milk to the meat sauce, cover with the mashed potatoes, and into the oven for half an hour. Very simple, yet very satisfying.