I’m always looking for an easy dish to make if I’ve got leftovers. We had some delicious potatoes that my daughter made and I immediately thought: Cottage pie! (Only Shepard’s pie if it’s lamb, I’m told). So if you’re looking for something to do with leftovers or to make it fresh, this is an easy one for you! Plus if you use a stove-to-oven pan, there is less to wash.
Easy Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar/provolone/swiss)
8 ounces chopped meat
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup peppers chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 cup wine
1/4 water
2 tbsp tomato paste (I keep a Cento tube in my fridge for ease of use)
1 can of sweet peas (14-16 ounce or so)
1 roasted pepper chopped (you can skip this, but I love them and always have a bottle of them around)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat the olive oil in the pan until shimmering and add peppers. Saute for 3 minutes or so and add onions. Saute until softened and add garlic. Saute for another minute and add meat. Brown the meat and then add salt and pepper, tomato paste, and water. Simmer for another 3 minutes or so to heat.
Add peas. I used the whole can because we love peas, but you can adjust to your own taste. Stir gently and turn off heat on the pan. Top with the roasted peppers. Cover with mashed potatoes and make sure to cover the entire surface. Top with cheese of your choice.
Bake for 15 minutes or until mixture under the mashed potatoes is bubbling and the potatoes are starting to brown. If you’re using a low gratin dish as I did, place it on another baking pan to avoid spills in the oven.
Once the mixture is bubbling and brown, broil for 2-3 minutes. Make sure the pan you’re using can be used with the broil function!
Once it’s browned, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes and then serve! Nom nom. It’s tasty, trust me. A real comfort food as well at a time when you need comforting.
I didn’t have carrots around, but if you do, add them! Also a little celery if you want. Adding vegetables in this is a good way to get added nutrients and also add filling volume that will help you eat less and keep down the calories. If you want something a little spicier, give it a shot of hot sauce or my new fav ingredient, gochujang Korean chili paste.
