Description
If you like Shepherd’s Pie you probably like Cottage Pie as well. It’s pretty much the same, just a different type of meat ;P Absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
some oil for frying
9 oz. (250g) brown mushrooms, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
17.6 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
2 tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt, pepper
some Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
1 cup (250ml) veggie stock
3.5 oz. (100g) processed cheese* (Schmelzkäse)
5.3 oz. (150g) frozen peas
some flour to thicken the sauce (if needed)
For the mashed potato topping:
26.5 oz. (750g) floury potatoes
1 /2 cup (120ml) milk
0.7 oz. (20g) butter
some freshly grated nutmeg
salt, pepper
about 5.3 oz. (150g) cheddar (white and/or yellow), grated & divided
Instructions
1. Start with the mushrooms and veggies. Clean and roughly dice the mushrooms. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic cloves. Peel the carrots and cut into small cubes. Set everything aside. Peel the potatoes for the mashed potato topping and cut into equal-sized pieces. Add to a pot with salted water and set aside as well.
2. Heat up a large Dutch oven (or pot) with some oil. Add the diced mushrooms and fry over high heat until they have browned nicely and lost some of their volume – this may take a few minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven/pot and set aside. Add a little more oil and sauté the chopped onions until soft and glossy. Next, add the garlic and carrot. Cook for a few minutes until the carrots have softened a little. Make some space in the center of the Dutch oven/pot and add the minced meat. Cook until nicely browned. As soon as the meat got some color, add the tomato purée, mix it in, and cook briefly to release some flavor. Season with the dried oregano, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce (that one is optional). Deglaze with the red wine. Let the wine cook until it is almost completely gone. Add the veggie stock and processed cheese and stir in. Finally, add the frozen peas. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, place the pot with the potatoes on the stove, bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes. As soon as the potatoes are done drain them and mash them with a potato masher*. Next, add the milk and butter and mix until you get a creamy mashed potato mixture. Season with fresh nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then fold in about 1.8 oz. (50g) of the cheddar.
4. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Season the finished meat sauce with a little more salt and pepper to your liking. The sauce should be quite thick – if the sauce is still very liquid you can thicken it with a bit of flour.
5. Transfer the meat sauce to a large casserole/baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle everything with the remaining cheese. Bake the cottage pie in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes – the cheese should be melted, bubbly, and golden. Let the cottage pie cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
If your casserole/baking dish is very full, I recommend placing it on a baking sheet or putting a large piece of baking parchment underneath – the cottage pie can bubble a lot and possibly overflow. You don’t want the oven to get too messy ;)