Cottage Pie

This screams comfort food! A dish full of ground beef smothered in gravy and topped with a garlicky-cheesy mashed potato crust. It’s an English Classic and perfect for the cold weather.

I posted this recipe on TikTok and there was a huge debate about the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie. Truthfully speaking, it’s basically the same thing EXCEPT Cottage Pie uses ground beef while Shepherd’s Pie uses ground lamb. My family and I love anything with mashed potatoes. Seriously, you can’t do wrong with mashed potatoes.

This dish uses a lot of pantry staples, which, makes it a perfect dish to make when you don’t want to go grocery shopping after work (I absolutely dislike going anywhere after work - who’s with me?)

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 3 stalks of celery, chopped

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil (to brown ground beef)

• 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)

• 1/2 tbsp beef bouillon powder(bouillon is salty, start with 1/2 tbsp then add to taste)

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

• Salt and pepper to taste

  Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lbs. yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 tbsp garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesean cheese

• Heavy cream or milk (use depending on how smooth you want your mash)

• 1/2 tbsp melted butter.

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add your olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

3. Add your ground beef to the pan and break up the ground beef. Cook until browned.

4. Next, add your flour and mix in the ground beef. Then add your tomato paste, red wine, beef bouillon powder, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium high heat for 15 minutes or until sauce has reduced to a gravy like consistency. Transfer your ground beef mixture to a 9x13 baking dish, set aside to cool.

6. While your ground beef is cooling, make your mashed potatoes by boiling them in a big pot of water until fork tender.

7. Turn off your stove and carefully transfer your cooked potatoes to a bowl. While still hot, carefully mash your potatoes. Add your butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then mix until combined. Add your heavy cream or milk (pour a little at a time to ensure it is not too liquid). Mix after each pour until your mashed potatoes are to your liking.

8. Add in your shredded cheese and mix until combined.

9. Set mashed potatoes aside.

   Assemble your pie

10. Top your ground beef mixture with the cheesy mashed potatoes.

11. Spread the mashed potatoes layer so it covers the ground beef mixture completely.

12. Using a fork, lightly slide your fork through the mashed potato mixture to form a pattern. It doesn’t need to be perfect!

13. Once your pie is assembled, bake the pie in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown.

14. Let your pie cool down for five minutes, and enjoy!