Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
1 yellow onion, diced
1 can of corn
1 small box of peas and carrots (frozen)
3 tbs Italian seasoning
2 tbs garlic (chopped)
1 package of instant onion soup mix
3 tbs flour
1 cup of chicken or beef stock (plus additional if needed to thin)
8 large yellow potatoes (peeled and diced)
½ cup of butter
1 cup of cream
3 tbs parmesan (grated)
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping: 1 Tbs melted butter and ½ cup of panko crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F
In a large pot place diced potatoes in enough cold water to cover and set to boil. Cook until fork tender.
While potatoes are cooking….saute onion, ground beef and garlic in a large skillet. Once browned, add tomato paste and flour. Cook approx. 2 mins until flour taste is gone. Add chicken stock, peas, corn and seasonings. Mix together. Continue to add additional stock if required to get to desired consistency. It should look like sloppy joe mix. Remove from heat and place into a large casserole dish. Make sure there is room to place potatoes on top.
Drain potatoes, then add butter and cream, mashing together until smooth.
Spread potatoes carefully over the top of the meat mixture. Try to spread all the way to the edges to seal it up underneath. Sprinkle with parmesan and then bake for 10 to 15 min until lightly browned and bubbling underneath.
Remove dish from oven and let sit for 5 min before serving.
Options:
You can use canned peas and carrots or use frozen. Add green beans, or use lamb, ground pork or ground chicken if you like. You can also sprinkle some crispy onions on top of the potatoes for a nice surprise.
The Story:
I love cottage pie and it is an easy and wonderful casserole to prepare in advance. It can be made and popped in the fridge overnight to eat the next day. Leftovers are just as good, although it never lasts long in our house. I serve it with a nice arugula salad with Italian dressing on the side to cut through the fattiness of the dish. One thing I’m seriously thinking of doing is making a version with macaroni and cheese on top instead of the mashed. I’ll let you know how that turns out!