Potluck Lunch at Work this Week -

Once in awhile we do a potluck lunch at work. We're doing it this week. I used to make the same dish every time - because it was always GONE. Lately i've been changing it up.

Here's what i'm making this week -

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup
• 1 can of corn, drained (or frozen)
• 1 cup of frozen peas (or canned if you can stomach them...blech!)
• 3 cups of prepared mashed potatoes
• 2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

•  In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion. Drain off fat. Spoon beef mixture into casserole dish,  add tomato soup. Top with corn and peas. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over vegetables.
• Spoon on the mashed potatoes - spread to the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle on remaining cheese, return to oven just long enough for cheese to melt.

I've always made this as advertised. This time i'm going to try it in the crock pot because we don't have a kitchen at work.

So my plan is to skip the first round of cheese and just put it all on the top for the last 30 min or so that it's in the crock. Should be fine - everything is already cooked so it's just getting heated through.

I'm being ambitious and making a dessert too...because I never use my beautiful Kitchenaid Mixer...and it's mocking me from it's spot on the counter.

So the bonus dessert is going to be... 
Key Lime Cupcakes! 

Mmmmm

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix
• 1 box (4-serving size) lime-flavored gelatin
• 3/4  cup water
• 1/3  cup Key lime juice
• 1/3  cup vegetable oil
• 3  eggs
• 2  or 3 drops green food color, if desired (just say no! real key lime anything is NOT green!)

Glaze

• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 2  to 2 1/2 tablespoons Key lime juice

Frosting

• 1  package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2  cups powdered sugar
• Grated lime peel, if desired

   
Directions:
1.    Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cake mix and gelatin with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Add remaining cupcake ingredients. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
2.    Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. With toothpick or wooden skewer, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.
3.    In small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and enough of the 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4.    In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in vanilla and 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Frost cupcakes, mounding and swirling frosting in center. Garnish with lime peel. Store covered in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 19 to 24 minutes.