Cheesy Cottage Pie
Everything you know and love about cottage pie, but with a comforting and cheesy twist.
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Shepherd’s Pie — or more accurately, Cottage Pie, since I always use ground beef — is a dinner I’ve made so many times that I don’t even need a recipe for it. It’s pretty quick to throw together, I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, and my whole family loves it, so it’s kind of a no-brainer when it comes to go-to dinners. This Cheesy Cottage Pie is a winner for all of the same reasons, but it feels a little more special and a little out of the ordinary because, well, it’s cheesy! Cheese makes anything better and this beefy, comforting cottage pie is no exception.
This starts with ground beef, onion, carrots, and peas that are all simmered in a savory beefy gravy on the stovetop before you transfer it to a baking dish…
… and then top it with plenty of mashed potatoes. But not just any mashed potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes. These have cheddar mixed in for a flavorful and comforting twist.
And that also means they brown up beautifully.
This is everything you know and love about Cottage Pie; it’s just more. And being a little extra is never a bad thing.
Cheesy Cottage Pie
For the potatoes:
- 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Let cook until potatoes are very tender, about 10 minutes.
- Drain and return potatoes to hot pot. Mash with butter and milk until smooth. Stir in cheddar cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside while you work on the filling.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle with flour and stir frequently for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, carrots, and frozen peas and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer beef mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish, then top with the mashed potatoes.
- If desired, use a fork to drag patterns through the mashed potatoes, then transfer to oven to bake for 30 minutes. Broil 1-2 minutes for extra browning, if desired.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.
