Cottage Pie with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 50g butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  

Instructions

1. To start, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the minced beef. Cook until browned, then add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, then stir in the carrots, peas, tomato paste, and beef stock. Let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
   
   
2. While the meat mixture is simmering, it's time to work on the mashed potato topping. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until they are tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the butter and milk until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
3. Next, preheat your oven to 180°C. Pour the meat mixture into a baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes, spreading it out evenly with a fork. Pop the dish into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the mashed potatoes are golden brown.
   
   
4. For an extra special touch, caramelize some onions to add on top of the Cottage Pie before serving. Simply heat some olive oil in a pan and cook thinly sliced onions until they are soft and golden brown. Sprinkle the caramelized onions over the pie just before serving.