Cottage Pie

I'm sure you remember the school cafeteria dish called "shepherd's pie" that consisted of mystery meat and leftover vegetables topped with yesterday's mashed potatoes. This isn't it! This is a beef pie topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. If you made it with lamb, it would be shepherd's pie; made with beef, it's cottage pie, and great for a cold winter's evening.

This makes about six generous servings. Because the meat filling is fairly liquid cottage pie is easier to serve if prepared in individual dishes like pot pie plates.

Meat and Vegetable Filling

• About 1-1/4 pounds lean stewing beef (or lamb!)
• cooking oil
• beef broth
• about 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste or 3 tbsp catsup
• About a cup of chopped yellow onion
• butter
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves (optional)
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp basil leaves
• 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
• 2-4 tbsp flour or corn starch
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

• About 3-1/2 pounds of starchy potatoes like Russets
• Butter, three to six tbsp.
• Cream or half-and half, about a cup.
• Lawrey's Seasoned salt.
• About 4 oz by weight shredded Cheddar cheese

Make the Meat and Vegetable Filling

Cut the meat into bite-size chunks and brown in oil. You will have to do this in shifts; if you put it all in at once it will steam instead of browning.

Cover the browned meat with beef broth and the optional red wine. Add the ketchup and stir to mix.Add the salt, peper, and spices. Cook the onion and optional garlic in a little butter until the onion has just begun to clear and add to the beet mixture. Simmer covered until the beef is tender, about two hours.

When the beef is tender, shake the flour or cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of cold water and add it to the beef, stirring well. Start with two tbsp flour or cornstarch. Check thinckness ofter the nixture has returned to a boil and cooked for about two more minutes. Add more flour or cornstach as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Add the vegetables and stir until they're thawed. They don't need to cook.

Portion the beef and vegetables into pot pie plates, or into freezer bags if you won't use it all at once.

Make the Potato Topping

Peel the potatoes, cut into about one-inch chunks, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes. Drain in a colendar.

Put the drained potatoes back in the cook pot, add the butter and perhaps 1/4 cup of cream or half-andhalf. Mash the potatoes thoroughly, adding more cream or half-and half as needed. Season to taste with Lawry'e Seasoned Salt.

Add the cheese and stir until melted, adding more cream or half-and-half as needed.

Top the pot pies with the potatoe mixture.

Baking

Bake the pot pies uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Last updated: 2023-05-25 17:55
Orignially posted: 2022-10-23