Herbed Cottage Pie Recipes

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry 1¼ kg beef mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns.
• Put the other 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan, add 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped celery sticks and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins.
• Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan.
• Pour over a large glass of red wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a few thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
• Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the 1.8kg potatoes which you've peeled and chopped, in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.
• Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese, then season with freshly grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
• Spoon the meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.
• If you want to use a slow cooker, brown your mince in batches then tip into your slow cooker and stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs with some seasoning. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours. Make the mash following the previous steps, and then oven cook in the same way to finish.

PROPER ENGLISH COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• To Make Meat Filling: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in ground beef and saute 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to saute until meat is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon, mixed herbs, and parsley.
• In a small bowl, combine beef broth and tomato paste. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.
• To Make Potato Topping: Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain.
• Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter or margarine, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.

ENGLISH COTTAGE-SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is very well browned, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and package of frozen peas & carrots. Stir well and heat through.
• To the meat mixture, add the gravy packet and 1 1/4 cups water or dry red wine, the rosemary & thyme, and the black pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 2-3 minutes (gravy mixture will thicken when cool).
• Turn beef mixture into a greased large and deep casserole dish (I use the crock liner of my 4 quart crock pot). Top with potatoes, cheese and tomato slices.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
• Serve with Parmesan cheese for topping at the table, along with a glass of cider or ale (we like Guinness Extra Stout), if desired!
• Note: To freeze, omit the cheese and tomato. Do not bake. To cook, defrost in refrigerator overnight, add cheese and tomato, and bake as directed, adding about 20 minutes to the baking time to compensate for the chilled food.

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, celery and carrot, stirring them over a brisk heat but not allowing them to brown.
• After 5 minutes or so add the garlic, reduce the heat and soften everything together.
• Increase the heat again and add the ground beef, stirring until browned.
• Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, wine and stock, season and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with the milk until smooth and creamy.
• Spoon the meat mixture into a gratin dish and cover with a thick, even layer of mashed potato.
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with seasonal vegetables.

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch deep-dish pie plate.
• Place potatoes into a pot; cover with salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover; simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; mash with 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, herbes de Provence, and nutmeg; cook and stir until beef is lightly brown and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Spread the beef evenly in the prepared pie plate. Cover evenly with the peas; spread the mashed potatoes over the peas. Dot the casserole with the remaining butter.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

HERBED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 cup broth, bay leaves, cloves, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover; cook 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk, butter, chives and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in cheese; keep warm., Add vegetables and remaining salt to the beef mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk flour and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Discard bay leaves and cloves., Transfer beef mixture to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 10 minutes or until heated through.