Cottage Pie

Another easy one that Jimmy and the kids love. A good one pot dish for those nights when you aren't sure what time people are coming home and you have to keep it warm.
It tastes so retro, which I love, and it looks quite the part if prepared in a lovely mint green Pyrex baking dish. Anyone else have a Pyrex obsession? The only thing to serve with this, in my mind, is a dish of sweet pickles, some thickly sliced bread and some molded jello for dessert.

Cottage Pie

adapted from Everyday Food November 2010

3T butter melted

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

2 large carrots cut in medium chunks

salt and pepper

2T tomato paste

2T Ketchup

1.5t Worcestershire sauce

1lb ground turkey, lamb or beef

1.5t herb de provence or thyme (more if using fresh)

1C dark beer (I used tankhouse)

1C stock or water

2T flour

1C frozen peas

1 large russet or yukon gold potato sliced thinly

Prettiest 2Quart Pyrex you've got

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Preheat oven to 400*.

In a large skillet, heat 1T butter over med-high heat and add onions and carrots, stirring often until soft. 5mins or so.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato paste, ketchup, and worchester. Add meat and stir until almost cooked, 3mins. Add herbs and beer and bring to a boil. Cook stirring a lot until slightly reduced. Sprinkle with flour, stir. Add stock and cook until thickened, 2mins.

Stir in peas and season again, if you feel it's necessary.

Transfer mixture to pyrex. Top with potatoes, overlapping slices. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 2T of melted butter over the top of potatoes. Bake 40-45mins.

Cool at least 10mins before serving.