Southern Cottage Pie

Southern Cottage Pie

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more comforting recipe than this all-in-one meal.

Southern Cottage Pie
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups chopped collard greens
  • ½ cup diced sweet onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup sherry
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat, if necessary. Add flour; cook until lightly toasted. Add collards, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook until caramelized and deepened in color, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, sherry, thyme, and bay leaf; cook until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
  3. Pour vegetable mixture into prepared pan. Spread Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes on top to cover.
  4. Bake until hot and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
 
Ingredients
  • 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ cup half-and-half
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, salt, and water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. Drain potatoes, and return to pan. Add half-and-half, butter, and cream cheese; using a potato masher or fork, mash potato mixture until combined and desired consistency is reached.