This Shepherds pie or more accurately cottage pie is by far one of the best ways to serve your family something warm and delicious and filled with great flavors. It is the ultimate in comfort food.
Most people would call this shepherd pie and that is ok with me. However a shepherds pie is typically made with lamb while a cottage pie is made with ground beef.
I have myself called this Shepperd’s pie my whole life so I am not here to judge by any means. I did learn recently that what I have been making has a different name so I would like to share that newfound knowledge with you.
Ingredients you will need
- Potatoes – I like using white or red potatoes but this will work with russet potatoes also. I like to also leave the peel on my potatoes but if you would rather peel them that is your choice to make.
- Water- used for boiling potatoes and for adding the broth to the beef mixture.
- Butter – butter or margarine will work, use what you have and what you like. both will give great flavor to the potato layer.
- Milk- use any kind of milk or milk alternative that work with your preferences and dietary needs.
- Parmesan cheese – added to the potatoes for flavor. If you don’t have any don’t want to add it to the potatoes you can leave it out. it will not take from the recipe it only adds.
- Salt and Pepper – always season you dishes to pull the best flavor out of your ingredients.
- egg – added to help bring the potatoes together and to helps them crisp up a bit.
- Ground beef – this recipe works with any ground meat, you can use chicken, turkey or lamb as mentioned earlier (shepherds pie) I would change the oxo package used to co inside with the type of meat you use.
- Onion- everything is better with onion flavoring.
- Minced garlic – you can use fresh, I however always have a jar of pre minced garlic in my fridge in oil. it makes it so easy to put garlic on just about everything.
- Tomato paste – adds richness to the dish and you get the deep flavor of the tomato without getting all the extra water of tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes.
- Beef flavor – use chicken or pork if you are choosing a different ground meat.
- Flour – thickens the sauce to a gravy consistency, you could also use corn or potato starch.
- Frozen vegetables – I like to have a bag of mixed in my freezer, you can also just use peas, corn or beans. canned veggies work as well as fresh. just be sure to drain and liquids or cut the fresh veggies into smaller pieces.
- Onion powder – adds a rich flavor to enhance the flavor of the fresh onions already used
- Dried chives- you can use fresh but I like to have some dried always on hand for convenience
- Dried parsley – same as the chives you can use fresh but I like to have some dried always on hand for convenience
- Celery salt – the ultimate flavor for any comfort food.
- Ground thyme – a beautiful savory flavor used in lots of great comfort food dishes.
- Dried herbs – I have a package of “dried herbs” I picked up at the grocery store that does not indicate what exactly is in it. I left it in the recipe to give myself a chance to let you know you can use whatever herbs and spices you like. add some or remove others it is all up to you. The best part of cooking at home is you can make it how you like and go from there.
Add spice if you like with some chili powder, hot sauce, or chili flakes. I was making this for my whole family and my kids aren’t quite at the level of spice my husband and I are. we did add hot sauce to our plates at the table.
How to make Cottage Pie
1.Pre-Heat
pre-heat oven to 350°f
2.Cut the potatoes
wash and cut your potatoes into small 1.5-inch pieces and put them in a large pot. I like to leave the peels on but if you prefer you can also peel them.
3.Boil Potatoes
cover the potatoes in the pot with about 1-2 inches of water and add salt.
Place the pot on the stove and over medium heat bring the water to a boil. continue to boil the potatoes until they are fork done.
4. Mash and mix the potatoes
Strain the water from the potatoes and put them back into your pot (if your pot has a stainless steel coating put the potatoes in a bowl instead) mixing and mashing might strip your stainless steel pot.
to the potatoes add the butter, milk, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes with a hand mixer or a potato masher. only until the potatoes are mashed, do not overdo it.
Add the egg and mix for just a few seconds more to incorporate the egg into the potatoes. set aside till the filling is complete.
5. Fry the Meat
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula
Dice the large onion and add it to the pan with the ground beef, continue to sauté until the beef is cooked nearly all the way through.
Add the tomato paste and garlic and mic to coat the beef. Add the seasoning to the beef
6. Mix the broth
Mix 2 cups of water with the flour and oxo packages in a large mug. pour over the beef mixture and turn the heat down to a low simmer.
Add the mixed veggies and allow to simmer until the broth has thickened only slightly.
7. Assemble the pie
Pour the beef mixture into the baking dishing lining the bottom. using a spoon level it out.
Spoon the potatoes on top of the beef mixture all over the top then using a fork level the potatoes out so there is no beef visible from the top view. Then make lots of peaks and valleys, using the fork. The less “perfect” the surface is the more you will get little crunchy pieces on top.
8. Bake
bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown and you see the beef broth bubbling on the edges.
9. Cool and serve
allow cooling for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cottage Pie
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking pan
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 large pot
- spatulas and spoons
- 1 hand mixer potato masher works as well
Ingredients
- 5-6 large potatoes
- water to cover potatoes
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large egg
- 1½ lb ground beef
- 1 large onion
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 pkj oxo beef flavor
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cup water
- 3 cup frozen vegetables
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- ½ tbsp dried herbs
Instructions
- pre-heat oven to 350°f
- wash and cut your potatoes into small 1.5-inch pieces and put them in a large pot. I like to leave the peels on but if you prefer you can also peel them.5-6 large potatoes
- cover the potatoes in the pot with about 1-2 inches of water and add salt.1 pinch salt, water
- place the pot on the stove and over medium heat bring the water to a boil. continue to boil the potatoes until they are fork done.
- strain the water from the potatoes and put them back into your pot (if your pot has a stainless steel coating put the potatoes in a bowl instead)
- to the potatoes add the butter, milk, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Mash the potatoes with a hand mixer or a potato masher. only until the potatoes are mashed, do not overdo it.3 tbsp butter, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
- Add the egg and mix for just a few seconds more to incorporate the egg into the potatoes. set aside till the filling is complete.1 large egg
- in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula1½ lb ground beef
- add seasoning and stir2 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp dried chives, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1 tsp celery salt, 1 tsp ground thyme, ½ tbsp dried herbs
- dice the large onion and add it to the pan with the ground beef, continue to sauté until the beef is cooked nearly all the way through.1 large onion
- add the tomato paste and garlic and mic to coat the beef.2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp minced garlic
- Mix 2 cups of water with the flour and oxo packages in a large mug. pour over the beef mixture and turn the heat down to a low simmer.2 pkj oxo beef flavor, 2 cup water, 1 tbsp flour
- add the mixed veggies and allow to simmer until the broth has thickened only slightly.3 cup frozen vegetables
- pour the beef mixture into the baking dishing lining the bottom. using a spoon level it out.
- spoon the potatoes on top of the beef mixture all over the top then using a fork level the potatoes out so there is no beef visible from the top view. Then make lots of peaks and valleys, using the fork. The less "perfect" the surface is the more you will get little crunchy pieces on top.
- bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown and you see the beef broth bubbling on the edges.
- allow cooling for 5-10 minutes before serving.
