This name is perfect for this pie, let us tell you why! Many people insist that Shepherd's is made with lamb and mutton and Cottage Pie is made with beef. While the debate forever goes on of if there is truly a difference between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie, we know one thing for certain it is delicious.
With a filling of beef, onion, carrot, garlic, and tomato you already can go wrong, but spice it up and this dish hits a whole new level. Once you add the potatoes on top and bake them to golden perfection you are nearer still to a food experience that you won't soon forget. Beef, potatoes, spices and a whole lot of love is what makes this dish so perfect, and that is why it is truly da-bomb, or in this case, the Cha-bomb!
Ingredients:
Mashed Potatoes:
2 1/5 Lbs Russet Potatoes
Peeled
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Milk
1/3 cup Creme Fraiche (optional)
Celtic Salt to Taste
Fine Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Filling:
Mushrooms
1 medium Onion
1 large Carrot
Diced
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Celery Stalk
1 1/2 Lbs Ground Beef
We used 90/10 ground beef.
2 Tbls Tomato Paste
2 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Tbls Rosemary Powder
1/2 Tbls Thyme Powder
1 Tbls Sage Powder
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 cup Beef Stock
1 cup Frozen Peas
Instructions:
Mashed Potatoes:
Bring a pot of water to boil and add your potatoes and a dash of salt. Then let cook for 7-10 minutes.
Take potatoes off the heat and make sure they are fork-tender.
Once your potatoes are done, in a sauce pan add your butter, milk and creme fraiche and warm them to where they are melted.
Now rice or mash your potatoes until smooth.
Add your butter/milk/creme fraiche mixture and mix until homogenized.
Filling:
Put a pan on medium-high heat and let the pan get nice and toasty.
Add your meat and brown.
If you don't have a non-stick pan, add oil.
Once browned move meat to a separate container.
Add a knob of butter to your pan, reduce to medium-low
Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and brown slightly.
Add onions and cook until translucent.
Now add your celery, carrots and garlic and cook until your veggies are tender.
Next add your tomato paste and caramelize.
Roughly two minutes.
Deglaze with your wine.
Deglazing means to unstick the stuff at the bottom of your pan, so adding a liquid will loosen everything up. In other words, scrape the brown bits off your pan.
Next add your Worcestershire sauce and your spices.
Soon after add your beef stock.
Now we cook the beef stock for about two more minutes than add your peas.
Next add your beef and let that sit for around another minute.
Casserole:
With a casserole dish ladle your filling into the dish.
We used mini casserole dishes and if you choose to use the same you will have more filling than what you need, but it's great for individual servings.
Next slather or pipe your potatoes onto your mixture.
Piping them on just makes them prettier, but it's also fun!
When you slather the potatoes on top, you can score them like a peanut butter cookie.
Now pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.
You want the potatoes on top to be golden brown.
