Shepherd’s Pie – Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
4 Potatoes, skinned, and cubed
1/2 cup Milk
3 Tbsp Butter
1 large Onion, diced
1-2 Carrot, diced
1 1/2 cups Peas
2 Tbsp Flour
2 cups Beef Stock
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Tbsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Paprika
1-2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 lb minced or cubed meat:

• For Shepherd’s Pie – Lamb
• For Cottage Pie – Beef

Directions:

• Preheat the Oven to 350°F
• Boil the Potatoes until tender.
• Drain and mash with Milk and Butter with the Salt and Pepper. There should be no lumps. Use more Milk if needed.
• In a Dutch Oven, brown the meat.
• Top with the Herbs, Onions, Flour, and Vegetables (except the Mashed Potatoes) and mix well.
• Pour in the Beef Stock until it reaches the top of the mixture.
• Cover in the Mashed Potatoes.
• Sprinkle with Paprika and Cheese.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes.

NOTES: Traditionally, there is no Cheese on this dish. If so desired, leave it off. The name is often called “Shepherd’s Pie” regardless of the meat, however some naming conventions differentiate based on the type of meat used. I follow this convention that Shepherd’s pie uses Lamb whereas Cottage Pie uses Beef.

My first time eating this dish was in Boy Scouts. We used to make it in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven over open coals. It was always one of my favorite meals on camping trips.

Variations:
Use left over Roast Beef, minced up and Veggies and Mashed Potatoes. This is probably where the dish originally came from!

Lancashire Hotpot