English Cottage Pie

I gave up on trying to take my own picture that made this dish look good.  But it was good, and I'm okay with being a better cook than I am a photographer.  The recipe is similar to one I've made before, but I preferred the mashed potatoes on top.

1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter, softened
cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 (8 oz) package cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound extra lean ground beef
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
paprika (optional)


Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour and butter; stir well.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion and carrot; saute 5 minutes.  Ad mushrooms; saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove vegetables from skillet.  Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes.  Stir in broth and pepper.  Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer.  Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt.  Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.


Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly.  Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture.  Top with remaining cheese.  Sprinkle wit paprika, if desired.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.