Slow Cooker Cottage Pie

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Slow Cooker Cottage Pie is a comforting dish featuring a rich and savory ground beef and vegetable filling topped with creamy homemade mashed potatoes. Use the slow cooker for most of the meal’s prep, and finish it off with fluffy mashed potato for a family’s dinner that is both easy and satisfying.

Prep Time30

Cook Time4

Total Time4 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: English

Diet: Halal

Servings: Servings

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

Cottage Pie Filling

2 lbs lean ground beef (907g)
1 medium yellow onion chopped (about 150g)
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (16g)
¾ cup 180g beef broth, low sodium, plus up to ¼ cup more (60g), if needed
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon paprika
8 ounces white mushrooms sliced (227g)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ cups frozen vegetables ,(like peas, carrots and corn)

Mashed Potato Topping

3 to 4 russet potatoes about 2 pounds (907 g)
4 tablespoon butter
½ to ⅔ cup (120 to 160 ml) whole milk , warmed
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned. If needed, carefully drain the excess grease or blot it with a paper towel.
Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in the fresh garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour evenly over beef. Stir thoroughly and cook for 1 minute, until you do not see any dry flour. Set aside.
In the slow cooker, pour in the beef broth and whisk in the tomato paste. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary and paprika.
Transfer the meat mixture into the slow cooker. Finally add in the sliced mushrooms and frozen vegetables. Stir everything together.
Put the cover on your slow cooker and cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Mashed Potatoes

While the cottage pie cooks, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 to 2 inch evenly sized chunks. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain well and return the potatoes to the pot. Mash with a potato masher or hand mixer.
Add the butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy, adding additional milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Set aside until ready to assemble the cottage pie.

Finish the Cottage Pie

Once the filling has finished cooking, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. If the filling seems too thick, stir in additional beef broth, but only a tablespoon or two at a time.
Spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling and gently spread them to the edges.
For a golden, lightly crisp topping, transfer the slow cooker insert to the oven, only if it is oven safe, and broil until the potatoes are lightly browned. Alternatively, spoon individual portions into oven safe dishes and broil.
Top with fresh chopped parsley or green onions, optional

Notes

Don't be tempted to add extra broth at the beginning. Though the mixture might seem to require more liquid, as the beef, mushrooms and frozen vegetables will release moisture. Only add the extra broth after the cooking time has completed to avoid the cottage pie filling becoming watery.
I prefer to use 93/7 but you can also use 90/10 ground beef.
Be sure to drain any grease before adding onions.
I like to use a fork to make texture lines on the top of the mashed potatoes.
Do not take the vegetables out to thaw, they should be put into the slow cooker while frozen.
Storage Instructions:
Storage: Store leftover cottage pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm up in the microwave or you can add a bigger portion into an oven-safe dish, cover and heat in an oven at 350°F until hot.
Freezing: You can also freeze cottage pie. Cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition