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Cottage pie last minute "wow" dinner
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Quick Cottage Pie for last minute "WOW" dinner

Cottage pie is the easiest fancy dinner that you can make in less than 45 minutes. While your potatoes are softening, brown your mince meat and chop some vegetables. Add some grated cheese, and wham bam you have a decadent meal. Cottage pie makes a quick last minute "wow" dinner. This is my go to meal when I need a last minute dinner idea, or a quick supper to feed my hungry husband.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cheese, Dinner, Easy, Mince, Oven, Potatoes
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • 1 Baking Dish/Casserole Or a few extra if you double or triple this recipe
  • 2 Large pot Potatoes in one, and the meat in another
  • 1 Large pan For vegetables
  • 1 Oven Pan If time allows to bake mushrooms
  • 1 Potato Masher Or fork

Ingredients

Mince Meat

  • 1 lb Minced Meat Beef, Pork, or Lamb
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tbs Oregano Dried
  • 1 tbs Basil Dried
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Paprika

Mash Potatoes

  • 4 Potatoes Medium to Large
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/4 cup Mayonnaise not required

Vegetables

  • 1/4 cup Carrots
  • 1/4 cup Parsnips
  • 1/4 cup Mushrooms

Final Cottage Pie

  • 1 cup Cheese Shredded

Instructions

Minced Meat

  • Heat a large pot with some oil and add mince meat to cook on a medium-high stovetop. Stir often
  • Once mince is brown, add oregano, basil, cayenne pepper (or paprika), salt and pepper
  • Turn stove to low-medium to let mince simmer with spices. Stir often
  • After 10 minutes, add 1 cup of canned tomatoes or tomato puree
  • Leave mince to simmer for duration of preparation, stir occasionally

Mashed Potatoes

  • Fill a pot of water, add a sprinkle of salt, and bring to a boil on a stovetop
  • Wash your potatoes (and peel if desired)
  • Dice potatoes roughly 2 inches
  • Add potatoes to pot and bring to a boil
  • Once potatoes reach a boil, turn stove to medium. Stir occasionally
  • Test potatoes with a fork and remove from stove when semi-soft
  • Strain potatoes and add salt, butter, milk and mayonnaise (optional). Mash with a potato masher or fork

Vegetables

  • Wash carrots and parsnips (peel if desired)
  • Slice and dice carrots and parsnips roughly 1 inches
  • Heat a pan with butter or oil
  • Add carrots and parsnips to soften. Pan on medium-high heat, stir often
  • Meanwhile, dice mushrooms
  • If time allows, bake mushrooms in oven at 400°C for 5-10 minutes
  • If making a "quick" dinner, add mushrooms to pan to cook with carrots and parsnips once the the carrots and parsnips are semi-soft. Cook for a few minutes then remove from stove
  • Add vegetables to mince meat and stir

Cheese

  • Grate cheese

Combine Cottage Pie

  • Line up mashed potatoes and minced meat/vegetables in a buffet set up
  • Combine in 2 inch layers alternative between mashed potatoes, mince, and cheese until the casserole is filled. Finish with a layer of cheese

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 400° and bake for 15 minutes
  • Turn oven to Broil for final 5 minutes to sizzle the cheese. Watch closely

Freeze

  • If you have leftover mince and mashed potatoes, consider making another casserole to freeze.
  • Add tin foil and label
  • Freeze meal facing upward
  • When baking from frozen, bake at 350°C for 1 hour
  • Remember to turn oven to Broil for final 5 minutes to sizzle the cheese

Notes

Vegetables: you can use any vegetables you have on hand, the more the merrier! My ratio of meat to vegetables is roughly 2:1. More meat than vegetables, but you can adjust to your liking.