This dish is also known as shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie recipe. A traditional shepherd’s pie would call for lamb meat. In the nature of being quick and easy, we use ground beef in my house. While this dish has “pie” in its name I totally consider it a casserole.
Yummy, Easy, Quick Cottage Pie Recipe
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 teaspoon of each dried herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 package frozen or 1 can of drained peas and carrots
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup of broth (beef or chicken)
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 pack (13.75-ounce) of instant mashed potatoes
Instructions
1. Saute onions in a large skillet until nearly done, about 4-5 minutes. Add ground beef with parsley, rosemary, and thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until meat is cooked through.
2. Add garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Once combined add flour and tomato paste. Make sure to stir well so the mixture is smooth.
3. Add broth and vegetables. Simmer on medium heat until the mixture is thickened.
This is the point in most recipes where you will find that you need to also make homemade mashed potatoes. For me, this does not make a quick casserole you can just throw together. So as a tip here, use instant mashed potatoes. I prefer the Idahoan brand. You make them with just water and you can add in whatever flavors you would wish to have in them. Ok, Back to the recipe.
4. Place meat mixture in a 9×9 inch dish and smooth out evenly.
5. Place mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture. Spread as evenly as possible in thickness.
6. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or potatoes are brown and the mixture is bubbly. Let cool and set for a few minutes before serving.
This dish is a favorite at my house. It is requested every single time I ask for dinner suggestions when preparing my grocery list. I usually go the simple way with the mashed potatoes and once in a while I will actually make homemade potatoes and my family can not even notice the difference.
