Easy Cottage Pie Recipe With Crispy Tater Tots Food

EASY COTTAGE PIE RECIPE WITH CRISPY TATER TOTS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375° F.
• In a large pan, heat the olive oil.
• Add the diced onion and carrot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the beef and cook until no longer pink. Tilt the pan and try to drain as much liquid from the beef as possible.
• With the heat on medium-low, add the garlic, flour, tomato paste, oregano and thyme. Mix well.
• Pour the red wine into the pan and add the Worcester sauce, soy sauce, salt and black pepper and mix.
• Ad the broth and bring to a simmer cooking for about 20 minutes or until the beef has thickened.
• Transfer the beef to a 9x13 inch baking pan or oven safe casserole dish and spread out evenly.
• Carefully place the tater tots on top of the meat making sure to cover all of the beef. It's okay if they are piled on top of one another.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and teh tater totas are crispy and the meat is bubbling around the edges of the pan.
• Serve at once.

COTTAGE PIE WITH POTATO TOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Spread the potato tots in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden and starting to crisp, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the white and light green parts of the scallions, the carrot and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until the carrot is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until the garlic begins to soften, about 1 minute.
• Make a large well in the center of the vegetables and add the beef. Cook the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until well combined, then stir in the flour until the beef is coated. Add the beef broth and green beans and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened to a stew-like consistency, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the beef mixture from the heat and arrange the potato tots on top in an even layer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the mixture bubbles and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil the top of the pie until deep golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the dark scallion greens.

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef or meat alternative. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, breaking up the beef or meat alternative, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the lentils and sprinkle with the flour; stir to combine.
• Whisk together the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk in the mushroom or beef broth and add to the pan, scraping any stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, season with more salt and pepper if needed, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the topping.
• For the topping: Cover the potatoes and garlic with a few inches of cold water into a large pot. Season well with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the cauliflower, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Using a potato masher or hand mixer, roughly mash the veg. Add the milk, butter and cream cheese and mash until the desired texture is reached. Season with more salt.
• Stir the frozen veg into the filling and remove from the heat. Top with the mash, spreading it into an even layer and scatter with the grated Cheddar. Transfer the pan onto a rimmed baking sheet just in case there is any bubble over and bake for until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Allow the pie to cool slightly before serving.

COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry 1¼ kg beef mince until browned - you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns.
• Put the other 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan, add 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped celery sticks and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins.
• Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan.
• Pour over a large glass of red wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a few thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins - if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
• Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the 1.8kg potatoes which you've peeled and chopped, in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.
• Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese, then season with freshly grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
• Spoon the meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.
• If you want to use a slow cooker, brown your mince in batches then tip into your slow cooker and stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs with some seasoning. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours. Make the mash following the previous steps, and then oven cook in the same way to finish.