Easy Cottage Pie
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.
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Calories 394kcal
Equipment
- 10-inch oven-safe skillet*
Ingredients
Potato Topping
- 2 large russet potatoes* peeled and chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup (56g) butter cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 large egg yolk
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrot diced
- 2 garlic clove pressed or minced
- ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
- 2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato paste
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup frozen 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 394kcal