Making a cottage pie from convenience foods

[Mosca]

I was trying to figure where to put this, because it isn’t bbq, it isn’t labor- or talent- intensive, or anything really except cheap, easy, and adaptable, and it uses absolutely nothing from scratch, yet results in something that is about 75% what you’d get in a decent pub. I didn’t want to elevate it to “recipe” status, but I do want to share. All of this is stuff I keep on hand for when things get tight, or when we get snowed in, etc… stuff that has expiration dates and needs to get used soon.

1lb ground beef, which I had frozen from a year ago
1 1lb bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 jar of beef gravy
4 servings of instant mashed potatoes

You guys can figure it out from there. Brown the beef, mix in the frozen vegetables and gravy, pour it in a pie pan, top it with the potatoes, and heat in a 350° oven to 165° in the center. Then brown the top under the broiler. Cut into quarters, it serves four people pretty heartily.

I swear, this gets you about 75% of the way to an excellent cottage pie. The kicker is the gravy, because store bought beef gravy is always too salty and just kinda all the same. You can try cream of mushroom soup.

I added some mushrooms that were getting peaked, I added the good parts of an onion that was sprouting. You can melt cheese on top. But be careful: if you start going too all out you might as well chop fresh vegetables, make real mashed potatoes, make a real gravy, all that stuff. This was cheap and easy and used up a lot of stuff from the pantry and freezer.

And, instant mashed potatoes are a freakin’ eye opener. Of course they aren’t as good as fresh mashed potatoes. But 25 lbs of potatoes won’t condense into a box, sit on a shelf for 2 years, and still taste like potatoes, all by themselves, for a ridiculously low price. Potatoes are amazing like that. I dissed on these things my whole life, but you know what? They are okay.

[Oak Smoke]

That sounds good! So often I go to the fridge and pantry to see what I can throw together instead of going to the store. I agree about the instant potatoes. If you rehydrate them with milk and butter then add in a bit of sour cream they are hard to tell from fresh.

[Mosca]

It’s freakin’ mind boggling. They won’t fool Gordon Ramsey, but they’ll fool Uncle Bob and Aunt Martha.

[mrichie1229]

This sounds like a great way to use up some leftovers!

[Mosca]

Oh: and you can pretty obviously use leftover chicken. Just sub chicken gravy, or a can of cream of chicken soup.

[Jim White]

I have used canned soup instead of gravy. Campbells make a golden COM with garlic that’s fun in this. Also, try the garlic mashed potato mix. And I add a little bit of marjoram.

[Mosca]

Thanks for the recommendations. The gravy was the soft spot. I was thinking about using lower sodium Better than Bullion next time, but I like the idea of using garlic, and fewer steps is part of the whole allure of this. When it was done, I thought I should have added thyme; thyme goes good with beef. So does marjoram.

[Dan Deter]

Agreed on the potatoes. I don't like boxed for actual mashed potatoes as a side (although my Dad did), but they are great for something like this. Spend a little time seasoning them and it gets hard to tell.

[Mosca]

Mrs Mosca likes to get those Bob Evan’s potatoes from the dairy case. My feeling is, that’s too close to actually making potatoes, because 1) they’re expensive, and 2) they have an expiration date. Might as well buy a bag of potatoes.

I’ve used instant as a side, but only in the family, not for guests. And rarely, like a couple times a year.

[Hulagn1971]

Mosca we love the Bob Evans refrigerated potatoes. When the first ingredients are milk, butter, cream and salt you really can't go wrong. In fact, bought a package today to go with my wife's meatloaf tonight. I really like the cottage pie idea. I'm thinking some ground lamb from the freezer and a splash of dry sherry in the gravy with a little garlic and onion powder might be good additions too.

[Mosca]

Oh, the Bob Evan’s potatoes are delicious, no doubt about it. They’re excellent. It’s the cost relative to a bag of potatoes that gets me.

[acorgihouse]

Haha, my aunt, may she rest in peace, was well known for offering to bring a side dish (like, for, uh, Thanksgiving Dinner) and showing up with a box of instant mashed potatoes. It became expected of her, so then one year she turned up with a bag of frozen peas, and we all said "no mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving?! We can't have it!" And someone had to run out to the only local minimart and find instant potatoes.

[fzxdoc]

Cute story.

K.

[smokin fool]

Make this all the time, classic comfort food, we call it Shepard's pie up here.
I brown the beef then add veggies and two tablespoons of Bisto to thicken up the mixture.
Prefer actual mashed spuds but have used boxed, no blood, no foul.
The gravy gets heated and served up on the finished dish.

[texastweeter]

Intstant tater flakes make excellent breading on fried or even oven baked foods

[CaptainMike]

Are you sure you're not some 22 year old college kid stumbling home drunk AF and hungry on a Saturday night?

[fzxdoc]

[fzxdoc]

For convenience, I'm a Bob Evans mashed potaoes (and mac and cheese) fan. I always have a carton of each in the freezer for emergencies.

I'm surprised that so many people like instant potatoes. I've never tried them, so I guess I'd better do some research. I like the idea of a long shelf life. They'd come in handy these days when my culinary game is on the back burner, or when I go to my potato basket and find that all the real potatoes have sprouted and are soft.

Kathryn

[Jfrosty27]

Yup. Bob Evans mashers or M&C for the win!!

[Mosca]

I got the instant mashed potatoes for thickening soups and stews, instead of using flour or cornstarch. Then we needed mashed potatoes one day, and my eyes were opened.

[acorgihouse]

They are handy, but I've tried all and would always go with "real" or the Bob Evans, although like Mosca says, the instant are good to have around for thickening (or emergency Thanksgiving dinner).

[nunyaz]

Yes, we've known this as "Shepherd's Pie" and you had me at "gravy" but lost me at "mushrooms" cuz I'm already a fungi 😂

Peace,
Nunyaz