Classic Ground Beef Cottage Pie

Preheat the oven (spring temperatures) to 190°C or 375°F.

Boil the potatoes to a soft texture and then drain the water.

Gently melt the butter in milk.

Mash the potatoes in the milk plus butter mixture.

Add seasoning (salt, ground pepper) and move to one side of the pan.

Melt the lard and put it in a deep frying pan. Then add the chopped onions, then carrot, and fry for at least 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and then cook for about a minute.

Add the ground or minced beef and a quarter cup fresh meat stock to the onion, garlic and carrot mix, and continue cooking. Stir gently till the beef is browned.

Slowly add the rest of the stock (three-quarters of the cup), finely chopped parsley, white mushrooms, seasoning and cover it with a lid and let it cook for about 15 minutes.

Carefully mash the corn flour into the 1 tablespoon melted butter and slowly add to the brown grounded meat sauce, stirring gently for about 5 minutes for the flour to dissolve, making the sauce thicken a bit. Finally, place the beef sauce into an (8 inch or 20 centimeter by 3 inches or 7 centimeters) deep baking ceramic or glass oven-proof container and coat with the mashed potatoes.

Evenly sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on the surface of the potato coating. Then bake it for approximately 40 minutes until the surface is crispy brown. Then serve immediately when still hot.