Cottage Pie

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had friends over for dinner to celebrate the holiday and I decided to make Cottage Pie. This dish was extremely easy to make and tasted really delicious. All of us liked it, even the kids. We enjoyed other Irish goodies thanks to Kyle, who made a delicious Irish soda bread and a decadent bread pudding. We also sampled different Irish cheeses and of course, Irish beer. It was a fun night spent with wonderful friends.

Mashed Potato Topping:

• 5-6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thirds
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 3 tbsp sour cream (I used non fat)
• 2-3 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
• 1/2 cup Irish extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Chives, chopped for garnish

Boil a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and cut into thirds. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back into the pan. Add the milk, sour cream, butter, cheddar cheese, sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper then mash with a masher or blend with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Cover with a lid and set aside.

Meat Filling and Sauce:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
• 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1-2 tsp dried thyme
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp Irish garlic and herb butter (or regular butter)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup beef broth

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery then cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the lean ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add the thyme, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Once the beef is done cooking, mix the peas into the mixture until well combined. Pour the beef filling into a large baking dish and set aside. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the 2 tablespoons of Irish butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix thoroughly then slowly add the beef broth. Season with sea salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the beef mixture and mix thoroughly. Top the beef and vegetable mixture with the mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with chopped chives. Enjoy.

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