Cottage/Shepherd’s Pie? I’m gonna explain. Don’t worry! There is lamb in traditional Shepherd’s Pie. Shepherd, sheep, lamb…of course. But, many of us in America opt to use ground beef instead of lamb due to availability and taste preferences. Doing so, turns Shepherd’s pie into Cottage pie! Now, look, if you enjoy lamb, use it! I just can’t eat my childhood homie, Lamb Chop. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff!
Comfort food heaven, right?? That savory beef mixture and creamy, decadent potatoes!! Goodness! Just bliss especially during the wintertime. My Cookies know I love a good red wine with dishes that include beef. And it’s amazing in this recipe. The consistency should be that of “minced meat”. Not stew like and loose.
Don’t skip the egg yolk in the potatoes. It’s a binder. And the cheese helps to brown the top beautifully. I used Parmesan, but white cheddar is great in this recipe as well. Everything is already cooked, so we’re only baking it to brown the top of the potatoes and stiffen them up a bit. I place it on the top oven rack. But, you can also just use the middle rack and place a baking sheet under you skillet or casserole dish. 
Speaking of skillet and dishes, I like to prepare this in my 9 inch cast iron skillet. Easy clean up as I am cooking, baking, and serving it all in one skillet! If you don’t have an oven safe skillet or pan, just transfer it over to a baking dish. 
- 1 lb lean ground beef or lamb
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 onion (grate it or finely chop it, whatever works, baby!)
- 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
- 1/3 cup grated carrots
- 1 T minced garlic
- 2 T all purpose flour
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
- seasoned salt and pepper to taste
- 4 russet or yukon gold potatoes
- 3 T butter (room temp)
- 2 T cream cheese (softened)
- 2 T heavy cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup Parmesan (shredded)
- 1 egg yolk
- salt to taste
- fresh parsley to garnish
- Preheat oven to 375 degree F
- Heat oil in a skillet
- Crumble in the meat and brown
- Add in carrots, onions, and celery
- Saute until tender; about 5 mins
- Add garlic and saute for 30 secs
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it coats the meat
- Add the tomato paste and stir
- Now, add the Worcestershire sauce, onion, and garlic powders
- Pour in the red wine and simmer until it reduces and the mixture starts to thicken
- Stir in the beef broth
- Allow it to simmer until it thickens
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Turn off the heat and stir in the peas
- If not using an oven safe skillet, transfer mixture into a baking dish
- Peel and dice potatoes
- Boil them in salted water until fork tender
- Drain and place back into the pot
- Put the pot back on the burner with the heat set at low
- Mash the potatoes then stir in the butter and cream cheese
- Add the heavy cream, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese
- Season to taste with salt
- Stir in the egg yolk
- Add dollops of the mashed potatoes to the meat mixture and spread it over gently and evenly
- Grate more Parmesan on top
- Bake on the top rack of the oven for 20-25 mins or until as brown as desired
- Allow to rest for 15 mins before serving.
- Enjoy!