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With a rich beef and veggie filling flavored with wine, Worcestershire sauce, good ketchup and lots of pepper then topped with cheesy mashed potato, Cottage Pie is the granddaddy of comfort foods. Loved by kids and adults, being so simple to make and so economical, this is a must for a weeknight meal or a lazy Sunday supper. I’m certain you’ll have the ingredients for this in your fridge, freezer and store cupboard.

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For the greens, I keep it simple and serve either steamed green beans or a simple arugula salad with a little parmesan – a perfect pairing to beef. And a robust red wine such as an old Aussie shiraz or a dark beer. Beer is always a good pairing with a savory pie.

Cottage Pie is a classic Aussie & English winter recipe. Often the beef is replaced with lamb giving us the Shepherd’s Pie. It’s easy to differentiate between the two – Cottage Pie is beef. Shepherd’s Pie is lamb – you know – shepherds, they shepherd sheep. Not cattle. They tend to leave that for the cowboys. Another wintery beef classic I LOVE, as in, I could eat one every day and not tire of them – the Aussie Meat Pies. More work than the humble Cottage Pie but well worth it. You can’t go wrong with this recipe, especially if you’ve got meat and potato lovers in your house like I do. Toodles for now, love Lovoni xo

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COTTAGE PIE

With a beef and veggie filling flavored with wine, Worcestershire sauce and pepper and topped with cheesy mashed potatoes, Cottage Pie is the granddaddy of comfort foods. Loved by kids and adults, so simple to make and economical, this is a must for a weeknight meal or a lazy Sunday supper. And leftovers taste even better.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Australian, English

Servings:

Calories: 574kcal

Author: Lovoni

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced*
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
good pinch of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme plus extra for garnish
1 cup frozen green peas

POTATO TOPPING

4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the top
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until softened.
Add the beef and cook for 10 minutes, breaking up any large lumps, until browned.
Add broth, wine, ketchup, sauce, salt, pepper and thyme; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the sauce is thickened but still saucy. Spoon the mixture into large casserole dish 6 to 8 cup capacity.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

To make the potato topping:

While the beef is cooking, place the potato in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover the potato; add a pinch of salt. Cook, over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the potato is softened; drain well, returning potato to the same pan. Mash the potato using a potato masher until no large lumps remain. Add sour cream, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup of cheese; stir vigorously with a fork until smooth. Roughly spread over the ground beef mixture leaving the surface uneven – you can use a fork to rake through the potato. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and add little dobs of butter on the top if desired. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any filling that might bubble over. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until the top is golden-brown and filling is bubbling. Place under the broiler, about 8 inches away from the heat source, for a few minutes to further brown the top, if desired. Serves 5 to 6.