1teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme works too
1teaspoonrosemary 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary works too
1/2cup corn kernelsI used frozen
1/2cup peasI used frozen
Instructions
Make the mashed potatoes
Add the diced potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water 2 inches above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat; add a teaspoon of salt to the water and simmer until the potatoes break apart when poked with a fork; 12 to 15 mintues or so.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the pot. Place the pot back on the hot burner (now turned off) and cover the pot with a lid. Let the potatoes steam 5 to 7 minutes before proceeding.
After steaming, add the sour cream, milk, butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. And use a mixer or hand masher to mash the potatoes until smooth. Don't beat them for a super long time or they will turn gluey and sticky. Just beat/mix them until the majority of the lumps are gone but a few small ones are fine. Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed.
Set potatoes aside while you make the beef mixture. The potatoes can be cooled and refrigerated up to 3 days before assembling your cottage pie if needed.
Make the beef layer
Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat a 12" skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef, salt, pepper, carrots and onion breaking up the beef as it cooks until no pink remains. Drain almost all the fat except 1/4 cup.
Return the heat to medium, and add the garlic, tomato paste, worchestershire sauce, and the flour. Stir to combine (the mixture will be slightly pasty) and cook 1 minute until no raw flour is seen.
Add the beef broth, thyme and rosemary and turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer gently until the sauce begins to thicken, about 8 minutes or so.
Add the corn and peas and stir to combine. At this point you can cool the beef layer for assembly later, transfer it to an oven-safe dish if your skillet isn't oven safe, or simply add the potatoes and bake if it is oven safe.
Spread the potatoes over the beef and sprinkle with cheddar cheese and a grind of pepper.
Bake until the potatoes begin to brown on the edges and the dish is bubbling, about 35 minutes.
Notes
Note 1: Your cheeses will be salty; feel free to add half the salt to the finished potatoes then the rest if needed. You will need to add salt to the cooking water regardless. Note 2: Beef broth can be very salty. Use half if needed, and taste the dish after assembly to see if you need the rest. I HIGHLY suggest you avoid bouillon cubes because the salt levels are unpredictable.