Monday, November 24, 2008Cottage Pie

1 lb ground beef
½ onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes, mashed
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ pint water
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in frying pan and fry beef rapidly, breaking up as many lumps as possible. When brown, drain in colander.
Wipe pan clean with paper towel, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and fry onion until tender.
Return ground beef to pan and stir into onion.
Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add beef stock cube, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, mixed herbs, water, and salt & pepper.
Stir well and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
While meat mixture is simmering, prepare mashed potatoes the usual way.
When meat is ready, put it into a baking dish and spread mashed potatoes across the top. Run a fork lightly over the top of the potato to rough it up a bit and dot with slivers of butter here and there.
If meat and potatoes are still hot, you need only put it under the broiler on high for 15 minutes. If it is cold, place in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, then briefly under broiler to brown the top.

Source: My MIL