Beef Shepherds Pie in 30 minutes!

Do you feel like you're constantly cooking and the family has voracious, insatiable appetites? Absolute bottomless pits? In my kitchen, making multiple meals a day seems to be the order of the day. So, what do I do?

One dish wonders to the rescue!

Here's my quick and easy 30 minute shepherd's pie recipe aka cottage pie. As we move into Fall, it couldn't be a better time to make this hearty dinner that will warm everyone up on a chilly night. I guarantee you that the family will be wiping their plates clean and asking for more. This is also a great dish to prepare around the Holidays when you've got tons of house guests expected.

It's the perfect dish to prepare ahead of time and refrigerate for another day. It's just as delicious eaten fresh or reheated the next day.

Naturally, I needed to use a few shortcuts to dish this simple cottage pie out in 30 minutes. But, you'd never know, tasting the end result The mashed potato is soft and creamy and oh so delicious and the ground beef is so tender and juicy and full of yummy beefy flavor. The carrots and peas spilling out of the beef add a bit of color and a light touch of sweetness that balances out the saltiness of the pie perfectly. 

Thank you! Thank you! Hold applause.

I couldn't have done it without my handy helpers!
I'd like to thank Boxed Mashed Potatoes, packets of Brown Gravy and Frozen Peas.

Shepherd's Pie in 30 minutes | A Simple Cottage Pie Recipe

Serves: 5 hungry adults

Ingredients:

☐ 1 1/4lbs lean ground beef (96% lean, 4% fat)
☐ 1/2 onion chopped
☐ 5 cups prepared- Box mash potato flakes
☐ 1 1/4 cups milk- to prepare the mashed potatoes
☐ 4 tablespoons butter
☐ 2 teaspoons pepper powder
☐ 2 sachets of 24g each- Brown gravy mix
☐ 1 tablespoon- HP Sauce
☐ 1 tablespoon- A1 Steak sauce
☐ 2 table spoons- Worcestershire sauce
☐ 2 carrots diced
☐ 1/2 cup frozen peas
☐ Salt to taste

Optional: Sliced tomatoes, parmesan cheese and rosemary for the topping/garnish.

Method:

STEP 1: PREPARE THE MASHED POTATOES

Prepare 5 cups of mashed potatoes per the instructions on the box. (Instructions will vary by box but the approximate proportions are 3 cups boiling water, 1.25 cups milk, 3 cups potato flakes and 6 tablespoons butter with salt and pepper to taste).

 STEP 2: PREPARE THE GROUND BEEF

1. In hot oil, add the chopped onions and lightly brown.
2. Add the ground beef and brown.
3. Add 2 teaspoons pepper, contents of 2 packets of brown gravy and fry lightly.
4. Add Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce, A1 steak sauce and 1.75 cups of water.
   Simmer uncovered until the mixture thickens slightly.
5. Add the diced carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the frozen peas and remove from heat.

STEP 3: PREP AND SERVE

1. In an 8" square glass dish, spoon in the ground beef. 
2. Add a layer of mashed potatoes, spoon by spoon, over the beef mixture. Drag a fork lightly over the top to make an attractive design. Voila!! Dinner is ready and all in 30 minutes.
3.  Optional: Layer the top with sliced tomatoes and a dusting of parmesan cheese and rosemary. Broil in an oven until the top turns golden brown.

Tips to bang this out in 30 minutes:

1. Prepare the mashed potatoes simultaneously while preparing the ground beef. (It's not that difficult!)
2. Keep everything that you require out and ready to use before you start.
3. First things first: start with boiling the water for the mashed potatoes. 
4. While the water is heating up, start heating a separate pan with oil.
5. While the oil is heating up, chop up your onions.
6. While the onions are browning, chop up the carrots.
7. While the beef is simmering, finish preparing your mashed potatoes. (Add the milk, flakes, stir and let sit to absorb the liquid).

To explore my other internationally inspired recipes, click on "GLOBAL" below.