A Rockin' Cottage Pie

If you don't have an adventurous palate, you may not go for this jazzed-up version of the original Irish fave, but I loved it, and so did dad and the kiddo. My favorite part was the carrot/sweet potato base layer...yummy! Warning: You just might love this so much that your hair turns red and you get a sudden urge to kiss the Blarney Stone.


Necessary stuff:

8 ounces carrots and 8 ounces sweet potato, peeled and chopped
a generous pat of butter
2 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound minced beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup leek, finely chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup diced button mushrooms (I left these out because someone in the family...cough...dad...cough...doesn't like them)
4 medium tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 beef stock cube dissolved in 1 2/3 cups boiling water (I used a can of beef broth instead...easier)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
salt and a little white pepper
1 1/3 cups frozen peas, cooked
1 beaten egg (I didn't use this)

What to do with necessary stuff:

Cook the carrots and sweet potato in boiling lightly salted water for 20 minutes or until tender and then mash with the knob of butter until smooth. Heat half a tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the minced beef for 7 or 8 minutes or until the liquid has been evaporated. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a fairly large casserole and sauté the onion and leek for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and beef stock and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain. Return the cooked potatoes to the empty saucepan and mash together with butter, milk salt and pepper until smooth. Place the mashed carrots and swede in the base of a glass ovenproof dish (approximately 18 cm diameter / 7.5 cm deep) or use mini dishes to make individual portions. Arrange the meat on top, then cover with a layer of cooked peas and top with a layer of potato. Brush the potato with the beaten egg (okay, right, if I didn't have an 8 1/2-month-old maybe) and cook under a preheated grill for 6 to 7 minutes or until the top is browned. We ate on this for at least three days. Oh yeah, and I used a big glass pan, though the small cups are quite stylish, and I woulda done that if I'd had 'em.