Halloween main dish

Ghostly little figures hover over the meaty pie in this recipe for a favorite main dish that’s a little bit dressed up to match the spirit of Halloween.

The recipe is from “Betty Crocker Celebrate!” (Wiley, 2004, $24.95), defined on the book cover as a year-round guide to holiday food and fun.

There are recipes to fit all these occasions, and plenty of color photos and decorative suggestions for presentation and serving. All this makes the cookbook eye-catching and helpful as a source for party and entertainment planners.

A note with this recipe refers to the old belief that you could drive away the ghosts that came out at Halloween by lighting lanterns or candles – and suggests you could mimic that purpose and also grace your holiday table by setting it with lighted candles.

Ghostly Shepherd’s Pie

From “Betty Crocker Celebrate!”, Wiley, 2004, $24.95

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

14 1/2 -ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

12-ounce jar homestyle beef gravy

1 3/4 cups water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup milk

2 1/4 cups instant mashed potatoes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray. Cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown.; drain.

Set 12 peas aside for garnish. Add remaining frozen vegetables, tomatoes and gravy to beef mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, bring water, margarine and garlic powder to a boil. Remove from heat; add milk. Stir in potato flakes and cheese. Add egg; blend well.

Spoon ground beef mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) or oval (2 1/2 -quart) glass baking dish. With large spoon, make 6 mounds of potato mixture on top of beef mixture to resemble ghosts. Place 2 reserved peas on each mound to resemble eyes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is thoroughly heated.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 365 calories, 19 grams fat (9 grams saturated, 47 percent fat calories), 23 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams dietary fiber, 620 milligrams sodium.