Cottage Pie with Russet Idaho® Potato

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, diced medium
  • 2 large carrots cut into ¾ inch pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig
  • 1 cup porter or other dark beer (optional)
  • ½ cup of beef stock (if you are not using the porter, use 1 cup of beef stock)
  • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup of frozen peas
  • 3 or 4 Russet Idaho® potato, mashed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium-high, and then add your onion and carrots, and then cook, stirring often for 5 minutes, or until they are tender.
  3. Add the ground beef, and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes for a medium-rare finish. Then toss in the thyme, the beef stock and the Porter, and bring your ingredients to a boil, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle your flour over the mixture, stir to combine, and then cook for 5 minutes, or until it is nice and thick, adding a pinch more flour if it requires it.
  5. Stir in peas, the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.
  6. If you don’t have any left over mash, place your Russet Idaho® potato in a covered stock pot with salted cold water, bring them to the boil and simmer until tender. Drain and then allow them to steam-dry for 5 minutes before adding milk, butter, salt and pepper, and then mashing.
  7. Spoon meat blend into an ovenproof dish, and then pipe or spoon the mash on top to cover the meat mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes:

Use an ice cream scooper to apply the potatoes, it leaves a thick layer on top and makes applying the mash really simple.