Description
A comforting and hearty Cheesy Cottage Pie featuring a savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- 2.5 lbs. russet potatoes
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 oz. shredded cheddar
Cottage Pie Filling
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Potatoes: Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Rinse them in a colander with cool water, then place them in a pot and add enough fresh water to cover them completely. Add 1/2 tsp salt, place a lid on the pot, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes until very tender, about 10 minutes.
- Drain and Rinse Potatoes: Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse briefly with hot water to remove excess starch and help achieve a light and fluffy texture.
- Make Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: While the potatoes drain, add butter and milk to the pot used for boiling. Heat over low until butter is melted and milk is hot. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and stir in shredded cheddar. Set aside.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Filling: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Dice onion and mince garlic. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Cook Ground Beef: Add ground beef to skillet and cook until fully browned. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes until it coats the skillet bottom.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in beef broth and stir to dissolve flour. Bring to a simmer until mixture thickens into a gravy.
- Add Seasonings and Vegetables: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. Heat through and season with salt to taste.
- Assemble the Cottage Pie: Transfer the beef and vegetable mixture to the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon dollops of cheesy mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly to cover the filling.
- Bake the Pie: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. For extra browning, broil for a few minutes until golden.
- Rest and Serve: Let the cottage pie rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to set and cool slightly.
Notes
- Rinsing cooked potatoes with hot water removes excess starch for fluffier mash.
- Use full-fat milk and butter for the creamiest mashed potatoes.
- Broiling at the end adds a lovely golden crust on top.
- Leftover pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated.
- To make it vegetarian, substitute ground beef with cooked lentils or plant-based mince.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
