DID YOU KNOW…a “shepherd’s” pie is actually made from lamb, and a “cottage” pie is made from beef? Our household has been calling it “shepherd’s pie” for years though, and everyone loves alliteration, soooo….we’re keeping the title!
This VERY EASY “shepherd’s” pie is the ultimate comfort food. Not only that, it’s an all-ages favorite, and it whips up in a matter of minutes with some final cooking in the oven to help everything set. Sure, you can get as fancy as you want with something like this, but we love the KISS method in our home, so we ain’t fancy with this English-inspired treat. Heck, we even used bagged potatoes (shout to Idahoan potatoes for making life easy!) and frozen ground beef for this done…it doesn’t get any easier than that.
Super Simple Shepherd’s Pie (Cottage Pie)
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 15-20 minutes in the oven to set everything
Post Time: Nada! Ready to go right out of the oven
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb of ground beef
- Half of an onion, chopped
- 1-2 tbsp of minced garlic
- Salt/pepper as preferred
- (1) 15 oz can of mixed vegetables
- Worcheshire sauce (approx 1 tbsp, more if you love the flavor)
- Family sized bag of Idahoan potatoes (any flavor), or you can cook up 12-16 oz homemade potatoes if you’re fancy
- Shredded cheese
THE PROCESS:
- PREWORK: Preheat oven to 375 or so. If you’re making homemade mashed potatoes, start that process now by chopping, boiling, and getting those ready to go
- Start by chopping your onion into small (1/2 inch or less) pieces. Throw in the onion into a frying pan with a tablespoon or so of the oil of your choice (or butter) and begin to soften them. In all, you’ll want them to be translucent and softened by the time you’re ready to assemble the pie
- Once the onion has started to soften, toss in the ground beef and season with the salt and pepper. Cook the beef alongside of the onion until fully browned
- When the meat is about five minutes from being done (almost browned), toss in your minced garlic and continue to cook, on medium
- Right about now is a great time to cook your potatoes if you are using bagged potatoes. Throw in your four cups of water, bring to a boil, then stir in your potatoes.
- When the beef is just about browned, drain your canned vegetables and throw them into the mix. Stir.
- Add your Worchestshire sauce now, to taste. We like 1-2 tbsp in our home
- Continue stirring and cooking on medium until the beef is fully browned and the onions are sauteed fully
- Begin to assemble your pie. Start with a light (1″) layer of potatoes on the bottom of a Pyrex dish (round or 8×8). Add the entirety of your ground beef mix over the top, then lightly top with the shredded cheese. Finish off the pie with the rest of the mashed potatoes spread on top. Top with a light layer of shredded cheese
- Pop the pie into the oven for 15 minutes or so
- VOILA! All done! Enjoy!
