Cottage pie is the ultimate cozy comfort food. Ground beef, onions, carrots, and peas in a thick and luscious gravy with a golden brown mashed potato topping.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Resting Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings 4to 6 servings
Calories 394kcal
Author Tracy
Equipment
10-inch oven-safe skillet*
Ingredients
Potato Topping
2large russet potatoes*peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
¼cup(56g) buttercut into chunks
2tablespoonsmilk or cream
1large egg yolk
Filling
1tablespoonolive oil
1poundground beef
1medium oniondiced
2medium carrotdiced
2garlic clovepressed or minced
⅛teaspoonground thyme
2tablespoons(16g) all-purpose flour
1tablespoonketchup or tomato paste
1½cupschicken broth
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
½cupfrozen peas
Instructions
Start the Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Add potatoes to a medium pot and cover with cold water. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Make the Filling
While the potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, breaking up the meat into crumbles as you go until it is well-browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a bowl and set aside.
Spoon off and discard all but a couple teaspoons of fat from the pan. Heat the pan over medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and ground thyme, and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and ketchup/tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring everything to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 6 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the hamburger and the frozen peas.
Finish the Potatoes and Assemble
Add cubed butter to the potatoes and use a potato masher to mash them until smooth. Stir in the milk/cream. Add salt and pepper to taste before stirring in the egg yolk until well combined.
Spoon the potatoes over your meat mixture in the skillet and spread them out evenly over the top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are lightly golden. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, and enjoy!
Notes
*If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can do the stovetop portion in whatever large skillet you own and then transfer the filling to an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish.*1 large russet potato = about 12 ounces.Approximate nutritional information is for 6 servings.