Sunday Eats - Cottage Pie

This is snow-weather comfort food at it's best, and it's even better on day two.  My Mom would make this from leftovers when I was a kid and my Dad, being of English descent, remembered it well from HIS childhood. Getting my birth certificate unsealed, contacting my half-sisters (who are so much like me it's a bit frightening :-) and finding out that biologically I am a Woodworth, descended from Walter Woodworth, gave me a tie-in as well.

You can use the Bob Evans packaged mashed potatoes if you're in a hurry, but I like to make it from scratch.  Coleman's also makes a  shepherd's pie seasoning mix that with meat, veggies and water, makes a tasty sauce, but this by far is my favorite way to make it.  The difference between Shepherd and Cottage pie is the choice of meat, Shepherd's pie is traditionally made with lamb.

Potatoes
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1/2 tsp, minced garlic
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4  tsp. teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
dash of nutmeg
1/4 of a regular sized block of  cream cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 egg yolk

Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 to 2 inch pieces.  Add to a pan of water over medium, covering potatoes with water.  Cook over medium for 30 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain in a colander and add garlic.

In a microwave-safe bowl, nuke butter and cream cheese until softened,  add half and half and microwave another 15-30 seconds, until warm.  Mix into potatoes and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy, adding a bit more half-and-half if mixture is too dry. Stir in the egg yolk and set aside

Meat filling

For the meat filling, saute in 2 Tablespoons oil until onions are softened and meat is cooked through:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 extra large sweet onion chopped
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic (or equivalent of two cloves)
1 and 1/2 pounds ground meat

Add 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce as it finishes cooking

Drain off any extra grease and add :

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toss meat with:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

and cook for a minute.

Add:

2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup beef stock or bone broth
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 and 1/2 cups mixed frozen veggies (I used peas and carrots - Old NFO can use corn instead of the peas, and green beans are good to replace carrots)

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover and simmer 10-12 minutes until the sauce is thickened slightly and the veggies are starting to soften (they will continue cooking in the oven.) You can use canned veggies, just drain and add them right before placing in baking dish.

Place meat mixture in an 11 x 7 baking dish and top with mashed potatoes, smoothing with a spatula and bringing potatoes up over the lip of dish so the gravy doesn't bubble up around the edges and cover up the potatoes.

Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, topping with 3/4 to 1 cup cup smoked cheddar 10-15 minutes before done if you like the cheese really soft, or putting on before placing in the oven, which crisps up the cheese around the edges - a personal choice.

Put a cookie sheet on the shelf below in case it does bubble a bit over the edge.

Let sit 5 minutes and enjoy with a nice pint of ale.  Serves 6-8 and is great leftover.