Shepherd's Pie / Cottage Pie

Since I've been in Ireland I've been finding this dish all over the place but as you know there's no dish as a home-made dish. So here you go, my version with a simple and mouth-watering twist.

Ingredients (6 portions):

- 800g minced beef

- 400g oxtail soup

- 1 diced onion

- olive oil

- 500g mashed potato

- 1 pack instant cheese sauce

- 1 handful of chopped spring onions

- grated cheese

- salt

- black pepper

- nutmeg

- oregano

In a frying pan put just a bit of olive oil and cook the onions until they are soft and transparent. Then add the minced beef and cook until brown. Add the oxtail soup, let it boil and season with salt and black pepper. Reserve the mix. 

For the mashed potatoes, either use instant mashed potatoes (following package instructions) or simply boil some potatoes and then mash them. Season the potatoes with nutmeg and salt.

Cook the cheese sauce in another pan following the package instructions and then add to the mashed potatoes, mixing very well. Also, add a handful of chopped spring onions to the mashed potatoes and stir until they are well mixed.

Pour the meat mix to a deep pyrex oven tray. Then carefully, with a spoon, spread the mashed potatoes on top of the meat, spreading evenly and leaving no gaps behind. When finished, scatter grated cheese on top of the mashed potatoes, as well as some oregano, and put it in the oven until the crust is golden brown.

Serve with salad and enjoy :)