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!!!

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Published by

Marilyn Dishes

Many people ask me "how did you do that?" "will you show me how?' So I decided to make a blog about what I cook and bake. I am in no way a professional cook, but I love to feed people and try new things as well as making the "old foods" My friends are wonderful cooks, each with their own 'specialty' and i will be having guest cooks here, showcasing their favourite things to cook as well!! I hope you enjoy this blog and maybe decide to make some of these foods yourself! I am always available to answer any questions you might have about anything you see here. Some of my recipes are unique to me but most are not. They are all recipes I have found in a variety of ways, some are old family recipes that date back decades and some are new ones!