Recipe: Tasty Cottage/Shepherd's Pie

Cottage/Shepherd's Pie. I know, I know, traditional 'Shepard's pie' is made with lamb. So technically, this is called 'Cottage Pie'. Make it with lamb if you prefer.

I say this is a Canadian dish. Cottage pie is a meat pie that is topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven. Now, cottage pie and shepherd's pie differ only in the type of ground meat they are made with. You can have Cottage/Shepherd's Pie using 20 ingredients and 11 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Cottage/Shepherd's Pie

1. It's 4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2. It's 2 lb of Ground Beef or Lamb (I used Ground Beef).
3. You need 1 of Large Onion, diced.
4. Prepare 2 Cups of Carrots, peeled and diced.
5. It's 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.
6. You need 1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce.
7. You need 2 Tbsp of Ketchup.
8. You need 2 tsp of Paprika.
9. You need 1 tsp of Dried Rosemary.
10. It's 1/2 cup of or Red Wine.
11. Prepare 4 Tbsp of All Purpose Flour.
12. Prepare 2 cups of Beef Stock.
13. Prepare 1 cup of Frozen Peas.
14. You need of For the mashed potato topping:.
15. You need 2 lbs of Potatoes (7-8 medium sized potatoes), peeled and cut in.
16. Prepare 1 cup of Whole Milk.
17. It's 4 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter.
18. It's 1/2 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
19. Prepare 1 of Egg Yolk.
20. Prepare to taste of Salt and Pepper,.

There is lamb in traditional Shepherd's Pie. But, many of us in America opt to use ground beef instead of lamb due to availability and taste preferences. Doing so, turns Shepherd's pie into Cottage pie! The difference is that traditional Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb and Cottage Pie is made with ground beef.

Cottage/Shepherd's Pie step by step

1. In a large skillet preheated over medium-high heat add the olive oil with ground beef. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes while breaking it up with a spatula until it’s no longer pink..
2. Add onions and carrots, season them with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies for about 7 to 8 minutes or until they have developed some color and started to soften. Add the garlic, ketchup,  worcesteshire sauce, dried rosemary and paprika and cook for another minute..
3. Add the wine and cook it for about a minute or until it has reduced slightly..
4. Sprinkle beef with the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes..
5. Add the beef stock and let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened..
6. Stir in frozen peas and cook until warmed through for about 2-3 minutes..
7. For the mashed potato topping:.
8. In a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water and add some salt. Bring to a boil, cook until soft for about 15-20 minutes and drain. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth..
9. In a small saucepan, heat together the milk and butter so it’s nice and warm. Add the warm milk and butter to the mashed potatoes along with some cheddar cheese and mix everything well. Season with 1/2 tsp of paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg yolk and mix well..
10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees..
11. Spray the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with some non-stick spray, add the meat mixture and then top it with the mashed potatoes. Spread it evenly and place it in the oven and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown..

Nothing screams comfort food like meat and potatoes, am I right or am I right? That is why this Cottage Pie is always a hit with the hubs, or anyone for that matter. Cottage pie is actually older than shepherd's pie. Potatoes were affordable ingredients that were often used by the peasants, who lived in cottages. So, "cottage pie" was an easy to make, affordable dish invented to fill peasant tummies.