Perfect and deliciously cheesy cottage pie topped with tasty flavoured parmesan mashed potatoes.
Cottage pie isΒ such a classic dish here in the UK. Of course I had eaten it before in my home country (Canada), but nowhere near as much as it’s eaten here. From my boyfriend constantly cooking it at home, eating it in pubs or even as a quick lazy microwave meal… It didn’t take long for it to make its way into my staple meals.
What’s not to like? It’s yummy, healthy and a perfect winter or rainy day comfort food (and god knows we get a lot of those here!! lol). Plus the cheese added on top and to the mash brings it to a whole new level of deliciousness!
It’s also a very affordable dish to make from scratch and while it’s a little time consuming (at least compared to more basic meals), you get a good amount ofΒ portions out of it so it’s worth the effort in the long run. Or even better, make a bigger batch and stash some in the freezer!
Preparation time: 5-10 mins (to chop the vegetables)
Cooking time: 30 mins (for the sauce) + 15-20 mins (for the mash) + 30 mins (in the oven)
Temperature: 200C (about 390F)
Yields 8 portions.
Ingredients
- 500g minced beef
- Mashed potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3-4 carrots (375g)
- 1.5 cups / 200g frozen peas
- 2 Tbsp dried sage
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Datu Puti which is a naturally gluten free dark soy sauce)
- Beef stock (I used 2 Kallo stock cubes + 1 litre water)
- A splash of sherry (optional)
- 2 Tbsp corn flour (+ water)
- 1/3 cup / 80ml milk
- Grated cheese (I used hard mozzarella, but you can use any cheese of your choice – extra mature cheddar and parmesan work well too)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
Mashed Potato Ingredients
- 6 potatoes (1.3kg)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup / 240ml milk
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan
- Salt
- Black pepper
Directions
- Make the mashed potatoes:
- Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until soft in lightly salted water.
- Drain.
- Mash them with the butter and milk.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: garlic (crushed or grated), parmesan, mustard, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Mix well.
- Note: for perfectly smooth mashed potatoes, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed.
- Cook the meat:
- Finely chop the onion, garlic cloves and carrots.
- Pan fry the minced beef on medium/high heat in a bit of olive oil (or cooking oil of your choice).
- Turn the heat down to medium/low and add the onion, garlic, carrots, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and black pepper. Cook for a few minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the beef stock, soy sauce, sherry and tomato paste. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat or until the sauce has partly reduced.
- Add the milk and peas.
- Thicken the sauce: mix the corn flour with a little bit of cold water, just enough to form a runny paste, and add to the sauce slowly. Stir continuously until the sauce gets thicker.
- Carry on reducing the sauce until it reaches a thick gravy like consistency.
- Make the cheesy cottage pie:
- FillΒ the bottom half of an oven dish with the meat sauce.
- Cover the top half with mashed potatoes, using a fork to spread it evenly.
- Add some grated cheese on top.
- Cook for 30 mins in a preheated oven (200C/390F), or until the top has turned golden brown.
Enjoy!
I’ve never put cheese on my Cottage Pie. This is such a great idea. π
Thanks! π