Go Back

Cottage Pie for One

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword dinner for one, ground beef casserole, mini cottage pie, shepherds pie for one
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Ground beef, bacon, carrot, and peas under a garlicky mashed potato topping, baked in a single ramekin.

Ingredients

Mashed potato topping

  • 1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 7 ounces)
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Beef filling

  • 1 strip bacon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 1 small carrot diced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 ounces ground beef
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup frozen peas
  • ¼ cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
  • Optional: parsley

Directions

  • Cut the potato into quarters and put it in a small saucepan with the milk and one garlic clove. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until soft. Drain it over a bowl to save the milk. Mash the potato with about ¼ cup of the warm milk, the butter, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt, adding a little more milk if it's stiff.
  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Chop the bacon and cook it in a saucepan until browned. Move it to a plate.
  • In the bacon drippings, cook the onion, carrot, the second garlic clove, and ¼ teaspoon of salt for 2 minutes. Add the beef and basil and cook for about 3 minutes, breaking it up, until browned.
  • Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and peas. Pour in the broth, bring it to a boil, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until only a little liquid is left. Stir the bacon back in.
  • Spoon the filling into a lightly greased 10-ounce ramekin. Spread the mashed potato over the top and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
  • Set the ramekin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Top with parsley, if you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 629g | Calories: 746kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1.9g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1713mg | Potassium: 1678mg | Fiber: 7.3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 7950IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 284mg | Iron: 5.3mg

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for the whole recipe (1 serving); Yukon Gold potato counted as raw potato (a small one 150 g), bacon counted as cooked bacon, carrot counted as carrots, ground beef counted as beef, 85% lean, raw, ¼ cup frozen peas counted as frozen green peas. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.