Cottage Pie

I haven't done a food recipe in a while, so here's one. It's cottage pie, Regency style. The first mention of Cottage Pie was in 1791, when the Rev. James Woodford mentions eating it with roast beef for dinner.

•2 lbs ground beef
•1 tablespoon oil
•2 onions finely chopped
•2 tomatoes chopped or one small can of peeled, diced tomatoes
•2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 cup beef stock or bouillon
•1/2 teaspoon thyme
•1/4 teaspoon sage
•1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•1 tablespoon chopped parsley
•5 medium potatoes
•1/4 cup butter, softened
•1 cup milk
•salt and pepper
•1/4 pound shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef in oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Drain most of the accumulated fat from the pan. Sauté onions until tender, and then add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add broth and stir in herbs, seasonings, and flour. Return brown meat to skillet and continue cooking for 5–15 minutes on low heat untill almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer mixture to an ovenproof casserole.

Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread potatoes over beef filling (scoring them with a fork) and dot with butter. For a non-traditional pie, sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven (25 minutes at 400 degrees or 30–40 minutes at 375 degrees) until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.