I used to make this from scratch all the time when I was a SAHM. this time, I saved myself the trouble of extra dishes by buying the onions and carrots pre-cut, and i bought heat and serve mashed potatoes (so I could skip the first half of the recipe). i also built the whole dish in a 10" cast iron skillet. this way, there are fewer dishes, and the cook time is reduced to 1 hour!
