Cottage Pie

Like Sheppard's Pie but made with beef, great comfort food that sticks with you on long hard days

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  peeled potatoes, quartered
• 6  tablespoons milk
• 1⁄2 cup butter, cubed
• 1  tablespoon butter, for the sauce
•  salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  Crisco
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  chopped carrot
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  pint  beef stock
• 1  cup  chopped white mushroom
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1  cup cheddar cheese

Directions

1. * Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C/Gas 5.
2. * Boil the potatoes until soft, drain. Place the milk and butter in the pan used to boil the potatoes, return to the heat and warm gently until the butter has melted. Add the potatoes and mash. Season to taste and keep to one side.
3. * Melt the lard or dripping in a large deep pan. Add the onion and carrot and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. * Add the ground beef and one-third of the beef stock to the onion and carrot mixture and cook, stirring constantly until all the meat is browned. Add the remaining stock, parsley and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.
5. * Mash the flour into the remaining 1 tbsp butter then add in small pieces to the ground meat sauce, stirring until all the flour has dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly, approx 5 minutes.
6. * Place the meat sauce into an 8"/ 20cm by 3"/7cm deep ceramic of glass ovenproof dish and cover with the mashed potato. Sprinkle the grated cheese potato on top and bake in the heated oven for 30 - 35 mins until the surface is crisp and browned. Serve immediately.