Easy Casserole for a Busy Night - Cottage Pie

It's been hot here during the day and chilly in the nighttime, lately. Dinner was needing to be made, and I was craving some down-home comfort food. And, since it is that busiest season, I don't have much "real" time to cook, so taking a break from sewing, stamping, wrapping, crafting and cutting, I tiptoed into my kitchen to see what I could find.

I had some leftovers sitting in my fridge... a little bit of corn (off the cob), mashed potatoes, a bit of onion, cheese... I almost always have mixed veggies and ground beef (in 1-lb baggies) in the freezer.  Today was no different. So I decided to make one of our faves... Cottage Pie, known to some as Shepherd's Pie, only when it's made with ground beef, it is really the Cottage Pie.  It's simple, easy and filling... oh! And you know me... CHEAP to make! So... thought I'd share it with you (you can use chopped cooked chicken or turkey in place of the ground beef to stretch your leftovers!!!). Here goes:

Cottage Pie

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• one onion, chopped
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (use a variety)
• Seasoned salt (I use Lawry's... it can do no wrong)
• Ground pepper
• 1/2 cup beef broth (or chicken if using another meat)
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (thicker is better than runny)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 400 F. Crumble the ground beef in a saute pan with chopped onions. Add seasoned salt and ground pepper to taste (I use approximately 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper). Brown until onions are translucent and beef is no longer pink. Drain well (I blot with paper towels, as well). Mix in the veggies (make sure they're drained, too!). Add the broth and Worcestershire sauce, and mix well. Spread evenly into a 13x9" pan (no need to grease). Spread the mashed and seasoned potatoes onto meat mixture, spreading evenly. You can use a spoon to make little peaks for added prettiness and texture... Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Pop it in the oven and bake for 30-30 minutes until the meat mixture is bubbling and the potatoes begin to brown. Simply beautiful! Serve with salad and rolls and Voila! Easy-peasy...  Sure wish I'd taken a picture!!!

*Note: 1) If you don't have beef broth or chicken broth, crumble 1/2 bouillon cube into boiling water and mix well. 2) Potatoes spread easier when warmed or at room temperature. 

I just hate going to the store for one or two items to complete a recipe, and this one allows me to use up what I have, without it tasting like last night's meal. (To be honest, we had cheese enchiladas, beans and rice last night! lol! And the leftover beans will be chili tomorrow... with cornbread, of course!)