Ingredients

Preparation 30 minutes, cooking time 1 hour, 15 minutes

For the filling:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped ( 1/2-inch) carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped ( 1/2-inch) celery
1 cup coarsely chopped ( 1/2-inch) onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 cups quartered brown (cremini) or white mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beef broth, chicken broth or water
Salt and pepper

For the topping:
4 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (made from fresh potatoes, recipe follows, or, to save time, from instant mashed potatoes, see note)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

To make the filling: In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots, celery and onion; cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Remove from skillet.
In same skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add ground beef to skillet; brown until no longer pink, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up beef. Pour off drippings. Return vegetables to skillet.
Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and flour. Add broth; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon evenly into six 1-cup ramekins or ovenproof dishes.
Heat oven to 350 F.

To make the topping: Stir chopped parsley into mashed potatoes. Spread potatoes evenly over beef mixture, covering filling completely. Bake until filling is bubbly and topping begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Tips: Cottage pies can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day before baking. Increase baking time to about 45 to 50 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Baked cottage pies can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated in a microwave oven.
Nutrition information per serving (based on use of prepared instant mashed potatoes): 518 cal., 30 g fat, 93 mg chol., 889 mg sodium, 29 g carbo., 4 g fiber; 35 g pro.

Directions

To make mashed potatoes from scratch, combine 4 cups of water, 2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces) and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander, return to saucepan, and add 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/3 cup hot milk. Mash potatoes with potato masher or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, adding more hot milk if necessary.

To prepare instant mashed potatoes, follow package directions. Prepare nine servings of instant mashed potato flakes to make 4 1/2 cups of prepared mashed potatoes. (This will save about 20 minutes preparation and cooking time.)