Easy Ground Meat Pie

This saucy, flavourful Ground Meat, Mince, or Cottage Pie is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter day! This Pie is warm and topped with cheesy mashed potato. I am sure this hearty Pie is going to become one of your go-to recipes!

Ingredients

For the Meat Filling

• 1½  tbsp Oil

• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

• 2 Onions, medium, finely chopped

• 750 grams / 1.5 lb Ground Beef (Beef Mince)

• 1 Beef Bouillon, cube crumbled (1 tsp Stock Powder)

• ½ tsp Black Pepper

• 2 Bay Leaves, dried

• ¼ cup (55 grams) Tomato Paste

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

• ¼ cup (60 ml) Red Wine Vinegar 

• 1 tbsp Chili Powder

• 2 tbsp Sugar

• 3 tbsp (23 grams) All Purpose Flour 

• 1 Carrot (72 grams) / 4 baby carrots, finely chopped

• 1½ cups (350 ml) Beef Broth / Stock, low sodium

• ⅓ cup (50 grams) Green Peas, frozen

• 1 tbsp, Cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 tsp Salt, to taste

For the Potato Topping

• 1.2 kg / 2.5 lb Potatoes, yellow flesh 

• 3 tsp Salt

• 2 tbsp (30 grams) Butter

• ½ tsp White Pepper

• 1 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped

• 2 Egg Yolks

For the Crust

• ¼ cup (46 grams) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

• 2 tbsp (11 grams) Parmesan Cheese, grated

• 1 tsp Cilantro, finely chopped

Method

1. To a heated skillet over medium heat, add the oil.  

2. Once the oil has heated, add the finely chopped garlic and sauté till the garlic loses its raw flavour.

3. Now toss in the finely diced onions and continue sauteing till the onions turn translucent.  This should take about 5-6 minutes. 

4. Once the onions are translucent move them to the edge of the pan and create a well in the centre.

5. Slide in the ground beef/mince and allow it to sear on one side, flip it over and sear it on the other side.

6. Season the mince with the crumbled beef bullion, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Give it all a good mix while incorporating the onions with the mince and using the tip of the spoon to break down the ground meat.

7. Now add the bay leaves, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, chili powder and sugar.  Give it all a good mix.

8. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour and mix till it blends with the ground meat.

9. Toss in the diced carrots and give it a quick mix.

10. Pour in the beef broth and allow the meat to cook on a medium-high heat for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.

11. Now add the frozen peas, give it a quick stir and allow it to cook for another 10 minutes. By this time, the filling should be thick and saucy.

12. Garnish with some finely chopped fresh cilantro, give it a quick stir and take it off the heat.  Keep it aside to cool.

13. To prepare the potato topping, in a deep pot, add the cleaned and chopped potatoes and fill in water to come just above the level of the potatoes.  Add salt give it a quick stir and allow it to cook on medium heat till the potatoes are cooked and a knife when inserted slides right through.

14. To get a creamy smooth potato mash, use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes.  You can also use a fork or a potato masher.

15. Toss in the butter, white pepper and finely chopped cilantro.

16. Give it a mix with a light hand till it is all well blended.

17. By now the potato should have cooled, add the egg yolks and with a light hand mix them into the potato mash till the yolks have been well blended.

18. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

19. In a 9”x9” baking dish put a thin layer of the potato mash at the bottom 

20. Sprinkle on a little of the shredded mozzarella cheese

21. Now spoon in all the ground meat filling and spread it around to cover the bottom of the dish.

22. Top it off with the remaining mashed potato and using a fork, you can texture the top of the pie.

23. Finish it off with a little shredded mozzarella cheese, finely grated parmesan cheese and finely chopped cilantro.

24. Bake for about 25-30 minutes till the top of the pie turns golden and crusty.

25. Cut into desired size pieces or simply dish it out and serve warm.