Thursday: Comforting Cottage Pie

How can you not love a good cottage pie? A fabulous quick-fix meal that will satisfy your palate and fill up your tummy. The recipe is loosely adapted from Rachel Ray's 30-mins Shepherd's Pie. 

The difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd Pie is the meat used. Cottage pie uses beef while Shepherd Pie uses lamb or mutton. Shepherd..Sheep..got it? he he Anyway, Adam ate twice. Husband loves it too. That can only mean one thing. The dish will make a comeback any time in the near future. :)

Comforting Cottage Pie

Loosely adapted from: Rachel Ray's 30-mins Shepherd's Pie )

Served 3-4
Note: 


Ingredients
5 medium sized potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
RC: I added 3 stalks of celery-chopped 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it 
I used Oyster sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves


Directions

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. 
2. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. 
3. Combine cream cheese, egg yolk and cream. 
4. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are  
   almost smooth.(I added 2,3 spoons of flour, to thicken the   
   mash)
5. While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high 
   heat. 
6. Add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with salt and pepper.
7. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. 
8. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. 
9. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 
10.In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour 
   together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and oyster sauce. Thicken 
   gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables.
11. Preheat oven to high. 
12. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable 
    mixture. 
13. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. 
14. Top potatoes with paprika and baked until potatoes are evenly 
    browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.