Repost from 2012.

My cottage pie recipe is a classic winter comfort food – a savory beef filling topped with a layer of buttery mashed potatoes and topped with sharp cheddar cheese baked to golden perfection. Yummmm. This dish makes me want to grab a throw blanket, curl up by the fire, and listen to Celtic music.

Cottage Pie (and its close cousin, the Shepherd’s Pie made with lamb) has its origins in 18th-century Britain and Ireland, born out of necessity and resourcefulness. The term “cottage” refers to the modest homes of peasants and farmers, emphasizing its roots as a hearty, affordable meal for working-class families. The “pie” emerged as a practical and resourceful way for the rural families to repurpose leftover roasted meat, particularly beef and lamb, by layering it with mashed potatoes.

We first discovered Shepherd’s Pie 36 years ago at a dinner party hosted by friends from New Zealand, where they made it with hand-minced lamb. I LOVED it. I should have asked for the full recipe, but since it was our first dinner party invite as a married couple, I was too shy to do so. The hostess did say, however, that the meat had soy sauce in the gravy as the secret ingredient! I recreated it from our taste memory and it’s been a winter family favorite ever since. A very long time ago I added a shredded cheddar cheese topping to the original recipe, and now I can’t imagine it any other way.

A snowy weekend seems like the perfect time for a Cottage Pie.

Cottage Pie
Ingredients:
2# ground beef
1 yellow onion, minced
2T olive oil
1T superfine flour (I use Wondra)
¼C lower sodium soy sauce
¾-1C water or beef stock
1 – 12oz. bag of frozen peas or corn
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2lbs)
4 cloves of garlic
4T butter
½C whole milk or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
2C freshly grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°.

A well-seasoned Lodge 10.25″ cast iron skillet is ideal for this dish, allowing you to cook, roast, and serve all in one pan.

Boil potatoes with 4 cloves of peeled garlic and a teaspoon of salt for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Strain the potatoes and whip them with the butter and whole milk. If they are too thick you can add more milk. Cover and set aside.

On medium-high heat, cook the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes until they’ve sweated out and started to caramelize. Add the ground meat and cook with the onions until no pink color remains, breaking up the ground meat with a fork while it cooks.

Sprinkle some superfine flour and ¼C of soy sauce on top of the meat and stir until combined. Add water or beef stock until desired gravy thickness is achieved. Stir and cook for a few minutes more. Take off the heat. Smooth the frozen peas or corn on top of the meat. Gently press down. Cover the potatoes with the shredded cheddar and roast in the oven until golden brown and bubbly. You may want to put a baking sheet underneath in case it bubbles over.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Note:
Shred your own cheese. Packaged, shredded cheese has anti-caking agents and antibiotics added.
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon