English Cottage Pie

By dbfv101

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 (8-ounce) package cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
• Paprika (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour and butter; stir well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and pepper. Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt. Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.

3. Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.