KIDS! DINNER'S READY!

[ID: A photo of a round Pyrex ovenware baking dish featuring a blue vintage harvest pattern, sitting on my stove as it cools. Inside the dish, a browned crust of mashed potato is visible, the top of a cottage pie Unseen, underneath, is a layer of beef and caramelized onions in a tomato-mustard sauce.]

Cottage Pie

Cottage pie for 2 people

Vegan Cottage Pie with Cauliflower Celeriac Mash

Cottage Pie is a rich, hearty casserole made from seasoned ground beef and vegetables in a savory gravy. Baked in a casserole dish with a mashed potato topping, this is pure comfort food your family will love.

This is a cottage pie I made today. Before and after.

Cottage pie

Magical Recipes; how to approach an established recipe as a Kitchen Witch

Art by forestfolke on Deviant Art I think one of the most confusing things for new, or even experienced, kitchen witches is how to expand their recipe catalogue for their practice. A lot of new kitchen witches think you need to follow a recipe that has been written special for Witchy Cooking. That the regular recipes they find or use just won't have any magical purpose. But that's just not the case.

You don't need to buy special cook books with recipes exclusively for Kitchen Witches. You can take any recipe that already exists and apply it to your wants or needs. To help explain this process, I'm going to take a recipe I found online then reverse engineer it into a Kitchen Witch Recipe.

The Recipe

My Partner often donates blood, so eating foods that keep his Iron up is important to us. But I also want this dish to be emotionally satisfying Vs just eating a Steak, which neither of us find particularly appealing. I thought I'd try a Cottage Pie (also called Shepperd's Pie) because I want to find a new recipe that will help use up ingredients. Don't get me wrong, soups are awesome; but I tend to go a little light on the meat/alternatives. I tend to keep a good supply of ground meat in the freezer, so know I'll have most of the key stuff.

So I'm starting with this recipe since I don't have my own Cottage Pie recipe. Here are the Ingredients: Filling

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean pork sausage)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small yellow onion , chopped

2 ribs celery , chopped

1-2 carrots , chopped (about 1 cup)

3  cloves garlic , minced

1/4  cup  all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

2  tablespoons  tomato paste

1  cube beef bouillon

2  tablespoons  Worcestershire sauce

1  teaspoon  fresh thyme , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary)

2  bay leaves

½ cup frozen corn

½ cup frozen peas

Topping

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes , Yukon gold or russet potatoes

¼ cup  sour cream

½ cup milk

4  tablespoons butter

salt and pepper , to taste

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese , for topping

So let's start with the topping since it has less ingredients to worry about. For those unfamiliar with cottage pie, the base of the pie is mostly meat and Veggies, and then it's topped with some mashed potatoes before baking. It's common to just use leftover mashed potatoes. So, I'll just use my mashed potato and cauli recipe. In short, it's half potato and half cauliflower with roast garlic and seasonings. Both Potatoes and Cauliflower have protective properties. Since this is the protective top layer of the Pie, I thought the symbolism carried itself further. The Cauliflower will also work well together with the Garlic to Banish any negativity from the pie, as well as from those who consume it.

Now let's break down the filling. Starting with the largest Ingredients. Ground Beef and Ground Sausage. Ground meats in general are fantastic for grounding energy. I'll probably sub the ground beef for whatever ground meat I have on hand, so the grounding aspect is what I'll focus on for now. Potatoes are also good for grounding. This is over all is going to be a very down to earth, hearty meal. Next, the vegetables. Onion, Celery, Carrots, Peas, and Corn. Corn is not something I use on the regular, but it's has a good use in Kitchen Magic as a power multiplier. Similar to Rice. Carrots have heath and energy properties, something I want in a dish for improving Iron Levels. Though I never particularly enjoyed peas, I'll use them for their health and abundance benefit. Green Peas are also high in Iron. Celery is great ingredient to add to a dish to add lasting happiness and satisfaction. Which I defiantly want so when the dish is consumed, you don't feel disappointed. Onion will add onto the Protection and Health. But Onion also has good cleansing properties, so I have the habit of adding it to my pan first to cleanse my cooking station. I'll probably cook some or all of the onion with the meat. Now the Seasonings. Not everything used in your cooking needs to have a magical purpose. It can just be there to enhance the taste of your food. I use Worcestershire sauce often in my cooking with no thought to it's magical abilities. I use it all the time when I want to add some extra umami or savory flavour. But there are some things we can add to help enhance the magic. Thyme, Rosemary, and Bay. All three of these herbs are good for health and healing. I can feed this to my SO before a donation to make sure his Iron is up. Then I can feed it to them after when their body is recuperating. Though I may forgo the Bay leaf. I tend to worry I'll leave it in my food when it's not supposed to be eaten XD But that said, I think I'll add a few of my own. Marjoram seems like it will go well in this, which will add to the Happiness and Comfort of my meal. I wanna add some Basil and Cayenne to this. The Basil I'm hoping will help stop long term fatigue, so my SO's mind is not affected by the donation. Cayenne for a blast of extra energy. I'll also add some extra Garlic and Parsley. I'll also make a few other personal tweaks like swapping the Flour for Cornstarch. I prefer using corn starch in my sauces, and I already have corn as an ingredient anyway, so it should mesh together better on their property levels. Cooking/Assembling Now that I have the magical properties of all my ingredients established, I simply need to assemble them according to the recipe directions. The only difference is, when I add something to the dish, I know what I'm adding not only on a Mundane level, but also the magic properties of the food. I'm adding ground meat to ground my dish and the people consuming it. I add Celery to help the food be emotionally satisfying. I'll add peas to enhance health and healing. Ect.

Also note, you don't need to do as big of a dissection every time you want to cook a recipe as a Kitchen Witch. If you come across an ingredient or two you are familiar with the magic properties for (Or the ingredient just has a spiritual meaning to you personally) You can add it to your meal with that meaning in mind. Like adding a little honey to your tea to sweeten and brighten your day. Also note, most ingredients have multiple magical uses. Just as they have multiple culinary uses. You can add honey to tea for happiness, or may may choose to add it help heal and get over a cold you have. Or you can add it for both reasons! Or neither reason; maybe you just want some honey. You are the Castor, the Decider, the Kitchen Witch!

Eat well and be well 💜💜💜

Hey, foodie fam! Today's video is all about showing some love to one of the real MVP’s of our channel – my amazing husband! After countless taste tests and daring challenges, it's time to treat him to something he truly loves: a classic Shepherd's Pie. But with a twist, of course! Join me in the kitchen as I whip up this hearty dish as a big thank you for all the times he's been such a trooper, trying all the weird and wonderful creations I've thrown his way. Trust me, you won't want to miss his reaction when he sees what's on the menu! 🎉🍽️

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SEE YOU NEXT WEDNESDAY!

can u share ur cottage pie recipe?? <3

Why, of course I can! I'd be happy to!

Now I'm not sure if this is how it's done traditionally, but this is how I make it & I'm very happy with it every time.

-Ingredients & Stuff You're Gonna Need-*

1lb ground beef

4-5 good-sized russet potatoes

2 carrots, peeled & diced

1 ear of corn, cooked & shucked

1/2 of a white onion, diced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

a handful of portabella mushrooms, sliced

1-2 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp butter

3/4 cup milk (more or less may be needed)

fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)

one 8" round cake pan

strainer/colander

*feel free to modify the ingredients however you like! I usually just add whatever's available in the fridge!

-Instructions-

*I do recommend doing the steps below the potatoes as they are cooking, as it can take a while!

-Preheat the oven to 350F

-I usually start with the potatoes, since they take the longest to prep. Set a medium pot of water to boil on the stovetop. While you're waiting, peel, dice (not super tiny, just around a 1" piece is good), & pat the potatoes dry. Once the water is boiling, carefully put your diced potato pieces into the water & wait until they are soft enough to poke a fork through with little resistance. (If a starchy-foam starts to collect at the top of the pot, carefully use a spoon or ladle to spoon it out into the sink). Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in the strainer or colander & put the cooked potatoes in a bowl. Combine with butter & milk (adding 1/4 cup at a time, you can always add more!) & mash until they reach a consistency you're happy with. Season with salt & pepper!

-Cook your ground beef on the stovetop until it is all cooked through, not leaving any pink spots. Carefully drain the grease from the pan & return the meat to the stovetop, though you don't need to keep it heated, as it will be heated once it goes into the oven. Season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder, mixing it around to coat as much as you can. Set off to the side.

-Dice, slice & chop your veggies as directed, & throw them in a pot or pan with the olive oil to sauté. (you can add a bit of seasoning to them too, if you'd like!)

-Once the veggies are sautéed, add them to the cooked beef & stir it around, just to mix everything together nicely.

-Spoon your veggie-beef mixture into your cake pan, filling it up nearly to the top, maybe leaving about an 1/8" or so (you can just eyeball it though, that's what I usually do).

-Gently spoon your mashed potatoes on top, covering the entire surface of the filling evenly, & feel free to add as many layers as you like! I like to cover mine as if I were frosting a cake.

-Add a pinch of salt & pepper to the top of the potatoes & pop that sucker into the 350F oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the mashed potatoes are golden brown. Once it's ready, garnish with fresh parsley leaves.

And there you have it! My homemade cottage pie recipe! I hope you enjoy, & let me know if you've tried it!

I am asking you once again

To bear witness to my cottage pie...

I think at this point I'm actually pushing the term to its breaking point. It may need a new name. The bottom layer is 50/50 ground beef and lentils in a tomato-mustard gravy, under a thin layer of shredded mozzarella. On top is a mixture of mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms, so a bit less stiff than usual, more of a topping than a crust. It tastes great but it does look a little daunting.

I'm considering Condo Pie. Chicago Pie? Something else cottagecore maybe, like Forage Pie or something. I definitely foraged in my freezer for stuff to make it. Mmm, Forage Pie.

[ID: a smallish casserole in a round white dish; mostly only the top is visible, a dark gold crust over a layer of creamy mashed potato, seen on the left. In a few places a deep brown meat mixture is also visible. It looks like something definitely cooked in the Midwest.]

KETO HEARTY VENISON SHEPHERD'S PIE

Keto Hearty Venison Shepherd's Pie is my lush take on the British classic. With just 9g carbs for the complete keto meal, this dish is the perfect winter warmer. It's rich, satisfying, intensely flavoured, and easy to customise. Read the full article

It's technically cottage pie only with mojo seasoning for flavor and southwest corn because fuck you

Vegan Cottage Pie Cupcakes

Made cottage pie. I injured my hand pretty badly and haven’t been able to cook in a bit and I am feeling so much better now 😌

January 12, 2024