Cottage Pie…this is not really pie…

Like Shepherds pie…. like pot pie…this is really a savoury casserole that is called a pie! This recipe is made with the addition of beer…so I knew Murray would like it!

I saw this recipe on the Martha Stewart web site…& I liked the ease of it. It is beef with some vegetables & topped with sliced potatoes…unlike Shepherds Pie… no need to boil & mash potatoes for the top! Just slice the potatoes & layer them on the cooked filling, pop it in the oven & that is it!

This is pretty simple to make…I did the whole thing in my cast iron skillet, but you can use a frying pan to make the meat mixture, then put it into an oven-safe casserole dish to finish it off.

I only changed 1 thing in the recipe…I did not use butter in the frying pan or on top of the potaotes..I used oil.

Here is the recipe….from Martha Stewart …. Cottage Pie

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil

1 large onion

2 large carrots

salt & pepper

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves *** if you don’t have any fresh thyme leaves..use 1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup dark beer

2 tbsp flour

1 cup water

3/4 cup peas

1 large russet potatoes

Method 

Preheat oven to 400f

1. Prepare the vegetables…chop the onion, cut the carrots in 1/4 inch chunks   set aside
2. In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of  oil & add the onion. Saute until the onion is cooked… about 5 minutes.
3. Season the onion with salt & pepper
4. Add the tomato paste & stir well so that it is mixed well with the onions
5. Add the beef. Cook until there is no pink left, breaking up the clumps of meat with a spoon or fork…
6. Add the thyme leaves & beer. Stir
7. Bring to a boil & stir often until this is reduced a bit….about 2 minutes
8. Sprinkle the flour over top of the meat mixture & stir it in
9. Add the water & mix well, cook for about 2 minutes until this thickens a bit
10. Add the peas & mix them into the meat mixture
11. Taste & season with more salt & pepper if needed
12. If you are going to use the same pan in the oven, turn the heat off & set aside, Put the meat mixture into a baking dish now if you aren’t using the same pan… if you are going to use a casserole dish, use one that is about 2 inches deep..not really deep because you want a large enough surface for the potaotes…
13. Thinly slice the potato & lay the slices overlapping on top of the meat
14. Use a pastry brush & brush the reamining oil on the poato slices…season with some salt & pepper
15. Put into the preheated oven & bake until the potatoes are cooked & nicely browned & the meat is bubbily…. about 40 minutes

Enjoy!!!