Cheap Attempt at Cottage Pie

[bluejeans07]

I had watched a make up guru on youtube make cottage pie for her boyfriend and I thought, hey, I could totally do that! It looked super tasty and despite all the flailing the cook did, it didn't seem hard to make.

But man, I totally misunderstood the amount I needed for the mashed potato topping. You need a LOT of potatoes to make the topping as thick and frothy as it's apparently supposed to be. I used one potato at first but it clearly wasn't enough so I ended up boiling and mashing another one, and it still doesn't look like it's enough! Argh! XD

Ingredients
Onion
Carrot (1 or 2)
Bell pepper (optional)
Ground beef
Pasta sauce or tomato puree (if you use tomato, be sure to also include a bay leaf and some thyme)
Garlic
Olive oil
2 potatoes (at least)
Salt
Pepper
Cheddar cheese
Butter
Milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Chop up the ingredients and put the garlic, onion and carrots in a wok or a frying pan with olive oil. Cook till soft.
3. Add ground beef and cook till brown.
4. Add pasta sauce and cook till well blended and slightly bubbly. I also tossed in pasta that I had left over from a previous dish.
5. Peel the potato and chop it up into little pieces for the mash. Put the pieces in the pot and bring to a boil.
6. When the potato pieces are soft, drain it with a strainer, then put it back in the still warm pot. Add in some milk and butter and mash liberally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spoon the meat mixture into a baking pan then spread the mashed potato on top. Top everything with shredded cheddar cheese.
8. Place the pan in the oven for 30 mins till golden brown.

Comments

[belle-bing.livejournal.com]

Cottage/Shephard's Pie is the most delicious. It is the one recipe my mum has yet to teach me. Probably because I would eat it all day if I knew how to make it like she does.

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

It is quite heavy but soooo good xD