Cottage Pie

For St. Patrick's Day I celebrate by cooking a recipe that first came from Ireland. For years I would cook "Shepherd's Pie" until I recently discovered that using ground beef is actually "Cottage Pie." The Shepherd version is made with lamb. Other than that little fun meat fact, this is pretty much Shepherd's Pie. Either way, I think this is great for St. Patrick's Day. Some years I REALLY celebrate by also drinking a cold beer. Your choice though, it is delicious either way.

Meat Filling

• olive oil (thing layer to coat the pan.)
• about a cup of chopped onion
• 1 pound of ground beef (you can do lean or not, up to you.)
• a few sprinkles of salt and pepper
• a few sprinkles of rosemary and thyme (I usually add these but if I am out, it is ok.)
• about a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (This is optional for me. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't.)
• 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
• a few tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• about a cup of broth (I just use whatever I have on hand, chicken or beef.)
• one chopped large carrot or a few chopped smaller carrots
• peas (I usually use about a half bag of frozen peas but you can use canned peas too. 1 can would probably be enough.)
• 1 can of corn (in the picture above, I was out of corn but I do usually add it when I have it.)
• Sometimes if I am trying to use up all of the vegetables in my fridge I will add some chopped up celery. This isn't absolutely necessary though.

Mashed Potatoes (The topping)

• 2-4 russet peeled and chopped potatoes (The number will depend on the size. If the potatoes are huge, you will only need 2. If they are medium or smaller, use more.)
• a half of one stick of butter (about 4-5 pats)
• a sprinkle of salt and pepper
• a few splashes of milk (I prefer whole milk but it is up to you.)
• a heaping 1/4 cup of sour cream

1. Grab a large skillet, pour the oil in to cover the bottom. Turn the stove on to a medium heat.
2. Add the carrots and celery first. These take the longest to cook. They will need to be cooking for about 5-6 minutes.
3. Next add the onion and garlic and cook for another few minutes.
4. Add the ground beef and as it cooks, break it up to very small pieces. Add the spices, mix again. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the pink is gone from the meat.
5. Sprinkle some Worcestershire sauce, mix again. Sprinkle the flour all over and stir, then add the tomato paste. Give it another stir to incorporate everything.
6. Add the broth and peas. Raise the heat a little so it simmers. Stay close and keep stirring. After a few minutes, turn off the burner and set the meat mixture aside.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. For the mashed potato topping...place the chopped potatoes into a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes. The potatoes will be ready and tender in about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes then return to the pot.
9. I usually use a potato masher but you can use any tool that would be good for mashing. I usually start to mash a little, then add everything.
10. Once they've been mashed a little, add the butter, milk, salt, pepper and sour cream. Stir and mash until a mashed potato has formed.
11. Next grab some type of glass casserole dish or an oval casserole dish, whatever you want.
12. First pour the meat mixture and spread it all around to cover the bottom. Then put the mashed potatoes on top. Spread the potatoes to cover the meat mixture.
13. Put into the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, maybe 30. I usually check every now and then. Once the potatoes have a slight browning and the meat is bubbling, it is good to go.
14. Pull it out and let it cool for a minute. Once it has cooled, it can be served.
15. I sometimes like to take some of the meat mixture and pour a little over the potatoes. If you are celebrating extra hard, grab a beer to go with.