Cottage (Shepherd's) Pie

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A few short days ago, I told you about how my husband had come down with a severe cold. It should be with little surprise that I am now, too. With every last drop of chicken noodle soup now consumed, I had to turn to another comfort food for some relief.

















We call this dish shepherd's pie around here; however, its correct name is cottage pie. From what I understand, both dishes are basically the same with the only variation being the type of meat used in the dish. For shepherd's pie, lamb is used. For cottage pie, beef is used.

Regardless of what we call it, cottage (shepherd's) pie is hearty comfort food at its best. Serve with warm biscuits or crusty bread... A perfect meal for warming a sick, old soul on this cold and blustery April day.

Ingredients
5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 Tbs. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1 to 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 c. water
3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. ketchup
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 carrots, diced
2 medium onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven broiler.

In a medium pot, cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until completely soft. Drain and mash. Add sour cream, milk, 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and salt/pepper to taste. Mix to thoroughly combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain any fat, then return to skillet. Add garlic, brown gravy mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Spread evenly into a medium sized casserole dish. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetables, Italian seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Spread evenly over meat mixture. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over vegetable layer. Top with remaining 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese. Place in broiler to brown potatoes and cheese, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.