Serves: 5-8
IHere is a classic English dish that will fill your house with a savory sweetness and that fills me with nostalgia. This hearty dish is sure to please the whole family. The difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie is the meat. Shepard’s pie utilizes ground lamb, while cottage pie uses beef.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, small diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and small diced
- 1 celery stalk, small diced
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- ¼ c flour
- ¼ c tomato paste
- 2 c beef stock/broth
- ½ c red wine (or water)
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Topping
- 2.5 lbs potatoes, peeled and medium diced
- 2/3 c of milk
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- ¼ c shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Filling
- Heat oil in a large, high-sided pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan and brown. Don’t stir the beef right away, but let it sit and build up a nice crust and fond on the bottom of the pan. After the beef is browned, remove from pan and drain, reserving about a tbsp of fat in the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots and celery, cooking for 3 minutes or until softened.
- Return beef to pan and dust with flour. Stir until flour is mixed in. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in wine (or water) and let cook for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the stock/broth, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix everything together.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a gravy consistency. Taste for seasoning.
Topping
- Peel and cut potatoes. Add to a pot and cover with cold water to about 2 in above potatoes. Add a pinch of salt to season, bring the potatoes to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes have softened.
- Strain potatoes and let dry. Return to pot and mash potatoes, adding butter and milk as needed until desired texture has been reached.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Add filling to a baking pan and cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese and 1 tbsp of melted butter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Tips
If you have the time, make the filling ahead and let cool. This lets the potatoes rest on top more easily.
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