Cottage Pie

This is a great comfort dish and can be made in large quantities and frozen.  If you are freezing wrap well with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.  Label clearly and date.  This should last a couple of months in the freezer.  To reheat, let thaw and then bake at 350º until hot, about 30 minutes.  Broil briefly to brown top.  

1 lb chuck roast

1 t. + 1 t. olive oil

24 oz stout

1 T. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 t. granulated garlic, 

5 lbs potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream, milk, or soy milk (I always have soy milk in the fridge, but hardly ever any real milk.)

2 T. butter

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

3 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces 

2 yellow onions, cut into bite sized pieces

5 stalks celery, cut into bite sized pieces

1 t. thyme leaves, chopped.  

HP, A1, or some brown sauce to taste.  

1.  Cut beef into bite sized cubes.  Do not add salt at this time.    

2.  Heat pot to medium high heat and add olive oil.  Once pot is hot, add beef in small batches and brown on all sides.  Continue until all beef is browned.  You want the beef to leave brown bits on the bottom of the pot, you may have to adjust the temperature to avoid burning the "fond", or brown bits.  Set beef aside.  

2.  Add beer to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the fond.  

3.  Season the beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, add to pot.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes or until beef is tender.  You may have to add water(or beef stock) if the beer evaporates.  

4.  While Beef is braising, make the mashed potatoes.  Peel, and cube potatoes, boil in salted water until cooked.  

5.  Mash, add butter, milk, salt and pepper.  Reserve.  

6.  Heat a saute pan over high heat and add oilve oil.  

7.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute until tender.  Season with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.  Add peas, saute briefly.  

8.  Mix beef and vegetables.  

9.  Spoon mixture into individual aluminum mini-loaf pans.  I can make about 6.  

10.  Top with some brown sauce, then mashed potatoes.  

11.  Broil to brown the top.