Shepherd's/Cottage Pie

 Traditionally Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb and Cottage Pie is made with ground beef. I love lamb but it can be ridiculously expensive so more often than not, I just end up making Cottage Pie in the guise of Shepherd's Pie. It's one of Mark's favorites and something that I have been working on perfecting for quite sometime.

One quick tip and then onto the recipe - I use my instant pot for my mashed potatoes and it's one of the only things I swear by the instant pot for. I cut my potatoes into rounds and add 1 cup of water and cook on high for 25 minutes with quick release, and they turn out perfectly every single time. I love it. 

For Filling 

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1 med onion, chopped finely

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag frozen mixed veggies

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1 pkg brown gravy mix 

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tsp soy sauce 

2 cups water

For Topping   

6-7 medium potatoes, cooked 

1/2 cup salted butter 

1 cup milk or cream

salt, pepper, and garlic powder 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray 

2. In a large, deep frying pan, brown the ground beef on medium-high heat. When its about halfway done add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the beef is completely cooked. 

3. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook until the raw garlic smell dissipates. Then add the tomato paste and mix well with the beef mixture cooking until the tomato paste is slightly orange in color. 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Cook until the veggies are done and the sauce has thickened and reduced. 

5. Make the mashed potatoes. I'm not going to give the directions for those. I'm going to assume you know how to do that part... 

6. Put the meat mixture in the baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, top with shredded sharp cheddar and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Done!