Recipe: Cottage Pie (GF)

By Pam Turczyn

As the Co-op’s chair of Merchandising, Sarah Chinn, pointed out to me,  “cottage pie” is the correct name for a beef pie topped with mashed potatoes (“shepherd’s pie” uses lamb, as any shepherd could tell you). Another option for these dishes is Beyond Meat’s plant-based ground beef, found in the Co-op’s freezer section. Whichever type of meat you use, it is important to know where it comes from and how the animals or plants are raised.

The Co-op currently stocks ground beef from two vendors. In the freezer section, we have Red Gate Grocer meat provided by Jenkin’s Beef in Leona, Pennsylvania. On the Red Gate website, cattle farmer Jon Jenkins, is quoted as saying, “90 percent of our feed is grown on the farm with the remainder coming from our neighbor up the road. The cattle are born on pasture and remain there with their mother until they reach around 600 pounds. They are then moved to the dairy barn for the winter and returned to pasture until they are ready for finishing.” The price per one-pound package is $6.83.

In the refrigerator section, we have ground beef from Grassland, also known as US Wellness Meats. Their cattle are all grass-fed and grass-finished. They operate using regenerative agriculture on sustainable farms with thousands of acres of pastures for grazing. They never use GMO-feed, antibiotics or growth hormones. A one-pound package costs $5.95. 

For general information about beef, this page from Healthline explains nearly everything you would want to know: a comparison between grain fed vs. grass fed, nutrition facts and a list of health effects. 

Now, a little about this recipe: It features a potato-cauliflower mash topping, which balances the lightness of cauliflower with the appetite-satisfying heft of potatoes. Many people cannot tolerate tomatoes in their diet, so none are included here. However, tomato lovers can add a layer of sliced fresh tomatoes between the meat filling and the mash. And lastly, did you know that bay leaves serve an important purpose in meat dishes, aside from their subtle, unifying flavor? They actually aid in digestion by breaking down proteins and fats, as well as having antibacterial properties. Just remember to remove the leaves before serving. Bon appetit!

Makes six servings for about $12.

Ingredients

Potato-cauliflower mash topping: 

• 1 pound Yukon Gold or red potatoes (about 4 small ones)

• 1/2 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1/3 cup warm milk, or hot water from steaming the cauliflower

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil (you can substitute ghee or butter)

• 1 teaspoon salt, divided 

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Filling:

• 1 pound ground beef 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 ribs celery, diced

• 1 small carrot, diced

• 1/2 portobello mushroom, diced

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Salt & pepper

• Grated Romano cheese (around 1/4 cup)

• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

• 1 teaspoon butter

• Paprika

Prepare the potato-cauliflower mash topping: Cut the potatoes in half, place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are soft (a knife should slide in easily). Remove them from the heat and drain. Cover with cold water, then peel each potato while holding it under cold running water. The peel should easily come off without the use of a peeler.

While the potatoes are boiling, steam the cauliflower until tender. Put the potatoes and cauliflower together and mash with a potato masher.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet and add garlic. Sauté until garlic just starts to brown. Add garlic, olive oil and milk or hot water to the mash and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Make the filling: Sauté onions and garlic in oil until onions are transparent. Add in the carrot, celery and mushrooms and seasonings. Keep on medium heat until all ingredients are cooked. Set aside.

Brown the beef. Add the onion-vegetable mixture to the beef. Then add arrowroot to 1/4 cup of water or broth and stir it into the beef mixture.

Butter a 9.5-inch pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan. Add the beef mixture and sprinkle it with the grated Romano cheese. Spread the potato-cauliflower mash top and sprinkle it with paprika.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.