Cottage Pie (Recipe Inspired by AN IRISH COUNTRY COTTAGE

Choosing Cottage Pie as my book-inspired recipe for An Irish Country Cottage was practically a no-brainer.

For years, I’ve called this dish “Shepherd’s Pie,” which I think is the name that most of us know it by. At some point, though, I learned that Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with lamb – hence, the “shepherd” part. This is all fine and good, but I’m not a huge fan of lamb. I prefer the beef version of this dish, which is called Cottage Pie.

Really, you can call this pie whatever you want. Since this is a recipe for An Irish Country Cottage, we’re calling it Cottage Pie today.

Cottage Pie is a staple dish in my house. I’ve been making a version of Alton Brown’s Shepherd’s Pie for years. I more or less follow his recipe for the meat and vegetable filling, subbing in ground beef for ground lamb. I make sure to throw in plenty of chopped onion and carrots, and I go heavy on the fresh herbs.

A slightly unusual ingredient I’ve taken to adding is soy sauce. Soy is a fabulous compliment to beef for the complex saltiness it brings to the dish. And, I make life easy on myself by stirring frozen corn kernels and peas into the pan (you don’t even have to thaw them!) right before I transfer the filling to the casserole dish.

Be sure to spread a thick layer of mashed potatoes on top of this Cottage Pie; it’s the best way to soak up the robust brown gravy that the ground beef and veggies are resting in. I love me some decadently creamy mashed potatoes, but I really only indulge that whim around Christmas, when it just seems wrong not to use heavy cream and loads of butter in your potatoes. The rest of the year requires me to watch my girlish figure, so I grate cheese into my mashed potatoes for an extra boost of flavor.

You can use any cheese you like – a sharp Irish cheddar like in my Cheese Scones would be delicious – but I used grated Parmesan cheese for this Cottage Pie recipe. The parm gives the potato crust a subtle, buttery flavor without adding a lot of fat, and it makes the kitchen smell heavenly as the pie bakes in the oven.

The main thing I love about this meal — other than the flavor — is that it’s a one-stop shop for dinner: you got your meat, your veggies, and your carbs all in one dish. While cooking everything requires a few different pots, it all comes together in the end in one great casserole dish.

An extreme advantage to this step-by-step assembly process is that you can assemble the pie one day and bake it off the next, making it the perfect make-ahead meal for company. There’s been many a time I’ve tossed the filling and potatoes into the dish, and then stashed the casserole in the fridge for the next day. When I want to serve it up, I let the dish come to room temperature, then pop it in the oven until the top gets golden brown and the savory gravy bubbles over the creamy and crispy potato crust. Your home will smell as warm and inviting as No 1 Main Street, Ballybucklebo in no time.

While Cottage Pie is a great meal to serve in your own home, it also travels really well. You can easily double the recipe and make one pie for yourself and another for a friend or neighbor. Many people in my life who’ve just had a baby, moved house, or just been down on their luck have received a Cottage Pie from me in a disposable foil container, which I prefer for easy after-dinner clean up. The villagers in Ballybucklebo are always looking after one another, so don’t be afraid follow their example by bringing this delicious dinner to someone in need.

Cottage Pie

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

INGREDIENTS FOR MASHED POTATO CRUST

• 2 1/2 - 3 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR MEAT FILLING

• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Place an 8x12 casserole dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes, then place them in a medium pot and cover with water. Boil the potatoes over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender.
• While the potatoes are cooking, prep the rest of the cottage pie ingredients.
• Grate a generous one cup of Parmesan cheese into a small bowl. Set aside.
• Finely chop onion and carrots, and place them together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Finely chop the fresh thyme and rosemary, and place them together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
• Measure out one cup of chicken broth and set aside.
• Measure out 2 tbsp of flour into a small bowl and set aside.
• By now, the potatoes should be done cooking. Drain potatoes into a colander in the sink, then return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes, mixing in the butter and milk until potatoes are smooth and creamy. Using a spatula, stir the grated cheese into the mashed potatoes. Place a lid on the pot and set aside to keep warm.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots; toss to coat with the oil. Let cook 4-5 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned and slightly softened.
• Stir the ground beef into the veggies, breaking up any large pieces, then stir in 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Cook the beef about 5 minutes, or until it’s completely browned.
• Sprinkle the flour over the browned beef and stir to coat, then let mixture cook for another minute or two, stirring regularly.
• Stir the fresh herbs into the beef mixture, then let cook one minute, until the herbs are fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and chicken broth to the pan. Stir to combine, then let the mixture come to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
• Taste the beef mixture; add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the corn kernels and peas.
• Transfer the meat filling to the casserole dish, then spread the mashed potatoes in a thick layer over the filling; all filling should be completely covered by the potato crust. (If potatoes are no longer spreadable, stir in a splash of milk before adding them to the casserole dish.)
• Place the cottage pie on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until the potato crust is lightly browned and/or the filling is bubbly.
• Remove cottage pie from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe is an adapted version of Alton Brown's Shepherd's Pie recipe.