Shepard’s Pie/Cottage Pie

This recipe is a family favorite at St. Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients:

Meat Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound 90% ground beef (lamb for traditional Shepard’s pie)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery (2 celery stalks)
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot (2 carrots)
  • 3 large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 and beef stock
  • 1/2 cup red wine (optional, substitute with more beef stock)
  • 1/2 cup of frozen peas
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • (optional) 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg – this will give a sweeter taste

For the Potatoes:

  • 2 pounds of red potatoes peeled halved
  • 4 tablespoons softened butter
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (preferably shredded by hand)
  • 1/3 cup of half n half
  • salt and paper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork tender. Throw in a couple cloves of garlic to boil with the potatoes. Drain and mash with the butter, cheeses, half n half, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Meat Mixture: Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain our excess grease.
  3. Add the veggies and garlic to the meat. Let the veggies soften over medium heat.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  5. Add the cornstarch to the meat mixture and stir well. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, spices and beef broth and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes. Gravy should thicken.
  6. Stir in the peas and a little more salt and pepper.
  7. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the beef mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Finish it under the broiler for a minute or two for that golden brown look. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.