Cottage Pie Recipe With a Twist

Introduction

First things first, lets get one thing clear - Cottage Pie is made with Minced Beef (or ground beef if you're American). It is not made with Minced Lamb.

There is no such thing as Cottage Pie made with Lamb Mince. What you're thinking of is Shepherds Pie (the clues in the name).

If you put cheese in/on the mash it is also not a Cottage Pie - that's a Cumberland Pie!

Portions: 4

Ingredients

500g Minced BEEF
2 Onions
4 Carrots
Frozen Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Oil (either vegetable oil or olive oil)
300ml of Beef Stock
Gravy Browning
Winiary Przyprawa

Equipment

Saucepan
Frying Pan
Oven Dish(es)

Instructions

Chop up the Onions and the Carrot
Fry the Onion and Carrot in a little oil until the carrot has started to soften
Remove the Carrots and Onion mixture from the frying pan and set to one side
Put a little oil in the pan and brown the Minced Beef
When the mince has browned pour in the Beef Stock
At this point you would traditionally add some Worcestershire Sauce, instead I've added a dash of Gravy Browning and a generous splash of Winiary Przyprawa sauce (yes, I know, with all these changes I guess it's not technically a Shepherds Pie any more)!!
Give it a good stir and simmer for 20 minutes
If you haven't already made some mashed potatoes, now's the time to do so whilst the minced beef mixture is simmering...
Add the frozen peas to the minced beef (yes, again, I know, traditionally you don't add peas to a Cottage Pie (they do go in Shepherds Pie though) but I had a handful left in the freezer that needed eating up)
Stir and simmer for a few more minutes
Pour the minced beef mixture in to 1 or more oven dishes
Cover in the mashed potatoes
IMPORTANT: rough up the mashed potato by using a fork, this will make the top nice and crispy!
Put in the over at 180° for approximately 15 minutes until the top is brown and crispy