Cottage Pie Recipe (great freezer meal!)

With winter really testing our muster (and patience) this cold February, we thought a hearty wholesome meal would help bring out our collective Minnesota heartiness.  This Cottage Pie, sometimes called Shepherds' pie, is full of healthy vegetables and meat, so it's teeming with protein, vitamins and minerals.This recipe would also make a great freezer meal for the postpartum period-- feel free to double or triple the recipe!  We have had luck storing this meal in mason jars, to later thaw and add to a baking dish.  You may choose to make the mashed "potato" topping when you are ready to heat and serve, or make ahead and just store it separately.

Vegetarians, perhaps a meat substitute would work great in this recipe!  Some ground tempeh might be really nice!

Ingredients:

3 large heads of cauliflower, trimmed and chopped coarse

4 T of olive oil

2 medium sweet yellow onions (approximately 2 cups)

4 medium carrots, sliced or diced (2 cups)

4 celery stalks, diced or sliced (about 1 cup)

1 pound of organic grass-fed ground beef (can substitute tempeh or other ground meat)

1 cup of chicken stock/broth

1 t black pepper

1/2 t of sea salt

Directions:

For the mashed potato "topping":

1.  Steam the cauliflower until tender

2.  In a food processor, blend the cauliflower with 2 T of olive oil (you can also add sour cream, chives, butter, salt, or whatever you'd make mashed potatoes with)

3.  Set aside

For the inside goodness:

1.  Heat 2 T of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the onions for 8-10 minutes.

2.  Add the carrots and celery and saute for another 10 minutes.

3.  Add ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned.

(you can also cook these one at a time, especially if doubling the recipe, and set cooked ingredients into a big bowl)

4.  Add broth to the mixture and cook down until half of the liquid evaporates (about 7-8 minutes).

5.  Stir in pepper and salt.

Put it all together:

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2.  In a large glass baking dish (can use 8x8 or 9x13), add the meat and veggie mix.

3.   Top with the mashed "potato" mix.

4.  Bake for 40-60 minutes (longer if from frozen)

5.  Serve and enjoy!