Cottage Pie is also known as Shepherd’s Pie. It is another comfort food dish that can be put together in no time. It is truly a meal that will satisfy any appetite, and if you have left over, you are going to love it the second time around even more. This dish/casserole is very popular all over the world and if prepared with lamb, you should call it Shepherd’s Pie. Cottage pie is made with ground beef which will be the only major change in the ingredients used for the Shepherd’s Pie. I said major change, only because you can add or subtract ingredients and seasoning to adapt the recipe to your taste. As I was taking pictures of the finished product, I realized that it is not a good looking dish. It could be made in individual serving containers and if served well- garnished you could easily achieve a wow factor. When serve at home as a meal, I would not worry about the look so much. I know people are going to love this casserole. Hey, it is meat and potatoes, and what’s not to love about that??? If you don’t have time to make your own mashed potatoes, use instant. You can use a chicken stock instead of water, and add sour cream instead of milk. Use salt and pepper to taste and you will have a good substitute for homemade mashed potatoes. I don’t like to use a lot of shortcuts on a dish that is going to be served as a side dish (homemade mashed potatoes). In the case of this pie, the potatoes will become another ingredient of the dish and will absorb many flavors allowing you to get by with instant. Just give it a try, I think if you are not familiar with this dish, it could be a favorite meal to cook.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
2 cups frozen vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
2 lbs potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice
Cheddar cheese (optional)
METHOD
Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until
tender (about 20 minutes). Mash potatoes in a bowl add butter and season to
taste.
Sauté onions in with a little olive oil until tender over
medium heat. Add the vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes and set
aside. Sauté ground beef until no
longer pink. I usually rinse the meat with enough water to get rid of the
excess fat. Return meat to a pan; add salt and pepper, worcesterchire sauce,
sautéed vegetables and a half a cup of beef broth. Cook, uncovered, over low
heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to avoid drying
out. Place beef in baking dish.
Distribute mashed potatoes on top. You can top it with cheddar cheese if you
like. Cook in 350 degree oven until
bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes).
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