Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes Ala Mary & Breakfast

I am a potato fan and could eat them about every day – maybe the Irish blood in me – and I love Cottage Pie (Shepherd’s Pie from beef).  So when I saw Mary’s recipe for Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes on her “Vegetable Recipes” blog, I knew I had to try it.  Bev had just been to the Mennonite market and brought home some fine looking Yukon Gold potatoes that I could to use.  I followed Mary’s recipe but didn’t take pics of the process as they looked just like Mary’s which you can see by clicking on the above link.

Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes

Potato Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon gold or Russet potatoes about 8 large potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoons kosher salt divided, adjust to taste

¼ cup butter room temperature

¼ cup milk

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper adjust to taste

2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided

Filling Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 small yellow onion diced into ¼-inch pieces, about ¾ cup

3 medium carrots diced into ¼″ pieces, about 1 cup

4 large cloves of garlic minced (1 tsp powder)

1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste

½ teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried basil

14 ounces petite diced tomatoes

1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

¼ cup water or beef broth only as needed

½ cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley for serving

Potato Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Scrub the potatoes to remove all dirt and then rinse and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes into each potato with a fork and then place them on a baking sheet.

Drizzle each potato with oil and sprinkle each potato generously with salt. Rub with your hands to coat and then place in the oven.

Bake for about an hour, until fork tender. The potatoes should be crisp on the outside and tender inside.  Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Slice the top off of each potato (about ¾ of the way up) and scoop out most of the potato center. Be sure to leave a thin wall of potato along each skin to keep the potatoes sturdy.

Place the removed potato portions into a large bowl. Then, add the butter, milk, half of the cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mash together and taste the potatoes. Adjust the salt and/or pepper, then set aside.

Filling Instructions:

While the potatoes are cooking, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium heat. When it is almost browned, drain off any excess grease and sprinkle with flour. Continue stirring and cooking for 1 minute, to coat well.

Add the onions and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic, parsley, thyme, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.

Add the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and cook for a couple of minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add a splash of water or broth along with the peas.

Stir to combine. Taste and then season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from heat. 

Spoon the beef into the potatoes, then top each potato with a heaping of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over each potato, then place back in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the edges are lightly browned.

 We sided the potatoes with a salad.

The Verdict:

We all thought they were delicious and I would call them “Potato Lovers Cottage Pie.”  Because of using the potato as a bowl, they required a little more work than the normal with a ramakin, but I will surely make them again.  My one recipe change will be to add just a little more liquid to the mashed potatoes to make them less stiff.  I ended up with enough leftover filling and mashed potatoes for a 6"x6" casserole.

And as for the mighty good breakfast: Nuke one potato, cut it up and flatten some, then top with an egg.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/6/23 meal date