In Search of Cottage Pie

My husband, Byron, is a meat and potatoes guy. He doesn't much get his wish for such food, but occasionally I try to make his day. I've been in search of a really great Cottage Pie (Shepherd's Pie) recipe. I've fiddled around with many. I haven't settled on one yet. I'm open to suggestions if you have them.

So, here's what I did this time.

Cottage Pie Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chuck beef
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• splash dry sherry
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups frozen peas
  
• 4 cups mashed potatoes, cooked with garlic and mashed with butter and sour cream
  
• 1/8 cup chopped chives (or finely sliced green onions with tops)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place ground beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large heavy skillet. Saute, breaking up ground beef. When browned, drain fat off in colander.

Put beef mixture back in skillet and stir in Worchestershire, then flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring often. Add beef broth, stirring to combine, then add sherry and heavy cream. Simmer until gravy thickens.


Pour into glass baking dish. Let cool slightly, then sprinkle green peas evenly on top of beef.


Mash potatoes, cooked with pressed garlic, with butter and sour cream. Add chives or green onions. Pipe or layer and rough up the potato top to have texture to brown nicely.



Here's a side view of the layers:


Bake about 45 minutes until heated through. Turn oven on broil and brown the potato top. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

I think this would have benefited from some thyme in the meat mixture. Oh well, does anyone out there have recipes?

Paula