Cottage Pie. Proper English Cottage Pie is a delicious, very traditional mince pie (beef) topped with mashed potato. Cottage pie is a combination of ground lamb or beef with mashed potatoes, topped with a bubbling layer of cheese is the perfect comfort food. Cottage pie is a classic dish that comes from the UK and Ireland.

A pie dish would be lined at the sides and bottom with mashed potato. Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with the milk until smooth and creamy. Spoon the meat mixture into a gratin dish and cover with a thick, even layer of mashed potato. You can have Cottage Pie using 14 ingredients and 4 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Cottage Pie

You need 3 tbsp. of olive oil, divided.
You need 1 tbsp. of butter.
It's 1 lb. of ground beef.
You need 1/2 of yellow onion, diced.
Prepare 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
It's 1 tbsp. of tomato paste.
It's 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce.
It's 1/2 tsp. of each salt, pepper, dried rosemary.
You need 1/4 tsp. of dried thyme.
You need 3 tbsp. of all purpose flour.
You need 1 1/2 cups of unsalted beef broth.
Prepare 1 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrot mixture.
It's 3 cups of already prepared mashed poatoes.
You need 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.

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. Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie are both savory meat pies with a crust or topping of mashed potatoes. Traditionally, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground or minced lamb, while a Cottage Pie is made with ground or minced beef.

Cottage Pie instructions

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once its hot, add the beef and cook until it is browned throughout. Drain out any fat, if needed, then set it aside on a plate and cover with foil..
Add the remaining oil and butter to the skillet. Once the butter melts, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Then stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook and stir another minute or so, then add the beef back to the skillet with the seasonings. Increase the heat to med-high..
Sprinkle the flour over the beef and stir to integrate. Cook and stir often for a couple of minutes, then stir in the broth and Worcestershire sauce. Let the mixture come up to a simmer and let it simmer until it has thickened (5-10 minutes. The gravy should coat the back of a spoon). Then remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the frozen veggies..
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 8x8" baking pan, then pour the beef mixture into it and spread it out evenly. Stir the cheese into the mashed potatoes (if using leftovers like I do, warm the potatoes up slightly first). Then scoop the mashed potatoes evenly over the top and use a fork to spread them out, being careful not to mix it into the beef mixture. Bake for 25 or so minutes, until golden on top and heated throughout. Then let it sit for 10 or so minutes before serving..

We prefer beef in this house, so the Cottage Pie has always been our preference! Why is Cottage Pie called "Cottage Pie?" At its most basic, cottage pie is a meat pie (or casserole) that is topped with mashed potatoes rather than a pie crust. After this, it can vary greatly from region to region (or kitchen to kitchen). Sometimes you will see other vegetables like celery, mushrooms, or peas studded through the meat filling. It originated when the potato was being introduced as a cheap food for the poor, and the dish was popular among the people living in modest cottages.