Cottage Pie Is Easy Comfort Food Crammed With Taste
Cottage Pie? Haven’t heard of it? It’s what Shepherds Pie is supposed to be called when it’s made with ground beef instead of lamb. It’s a relatively quick and easy comfort food that you can make any weeknight in about 35 minutes. Any cheese? Not usually, although it would be a nice layer between the meat and the spuds.
According to Wikipedia, “the dish is usually called “cottage pie” if it is made with beef. If it is made with lamb it is usually called “shepherd’s pie” (because a shepherd looks after sheep).” Baaa.
It doesn’t have any cottage cheese in it. No cottage at all, really.
It does have a super depth of flavor though, especially if you let the ground meat caramelize a bit when the flour is cooking.
In order to make this quickly, we get the oven warming and the potatoes cooking, then let them bubble merrily while we brown the meat and onions in our Cast Iron Skillet (affiliate link).
Once the meat and onions are cooked through, make a well in the middle. Sprinkle the flour in the middle and let it cook with the beef fat for two or three minutes.
Add the milk, the Worcestershire Sauce, and the bouillon. Stir to combine. Then add the frozen veggies (no need to thaw in advance) and mix again.
Set meat aside and make the potatoes – use a Hand Potato Masher (affiliate link) or a Hand Mixer (affiliate link) if you’re feeling adventurous.
Potatoes. Sigh. They’re the real reason Cottage Pie is on the menu.
Spray the casserole dish well and add the meat to it, then spoon over the potatoes. I like to leave a little room around the edge of the casserole dish with no potatoes because it looks great, but it also won’t make the meat so hot it boils out.
Sprinkle with paprika, and dot with butter before putting it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown perfectly.
Serve immediately, but be careful! That sucker is hot.
So pretty. You can use any veggies you like – carrots are more classic, but they aren’t a universally adored item around here.
Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet Potatoes (about 1-1/2#)
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt (divided)
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 1 tsp Worcestshire Sauce
- 1 tsp Beef Bouillon or Beef Base
- 2 cups Milk (divided)
- 2 cups Frozen Veggies (We Use Corn & Peas)
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Ground Black Pepper
- Paprika for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 450 degrees for regular oven of 425 degrees for convection.
- Peel potatoes and cut into small 3/4" dice. The smaller dice allows the potatoes to cook faster. Put in medium pot, and cover by about an inch with cold water. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of kosher salt and set pot on high heat. Turn down to medium high once it comes to a boil.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle 1 tsp salt across bottom of cast iron skillet and break up ground beef onto it. Add chopped onions. Cook beef over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned through, about 10 minutes.
- Move cooked meat to the sides of the pan, leaving a well in the middle. Sprinkle flour in well and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of milk, Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon and veggies and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Check potatoes with a fork to see if they are tender enough to mash. If so, drain water and smash potatoes with a potato masher. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1-1/2 tbsp butter and garlic powder and continue mashing and stirring until smooth and creamy. Check for salt and add if needed. Add freshly ground pepper.
- Put meat in a sprayed casserole dish and spoon potatoes on top, leaving about 1/2" along the side to allow for boiling. Smooth potatoes and swirl into a pretty pattern.
- Sprinkle paprika over potatoes. Chunk remaining butter and spread pieces across top.
- Cook casserole until brown and beef is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
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