Oh my goodness. Last night’s dinner was spectacular. It was a repeat of a dish I’ve made several times before, but never quite in this same way. I’ve posted about this dish before- the original recipe came from Eating Well magazine several years ago. Every time I’ve made it I’ve tweaked it here and there, but last night it finally arrived.
I think the big key to how delicious it was was that last night I finally made the cottage pies in individual portions. I usually just use one large baking dish and make one large cottage pie that we all scoop out of. Last night I used my French Onion Soup crocks and made four individual portions of these cottage pies. They were absolute perfection. The proportions in every bite were perfect. I loved the kale added to the beef, but I especially loved the smoked paprika added to the squash. Everything melded together perfectly, and it just was a personal bowl of yum.
Make these. I used kale in the dish because I spent yesterday cleaning out the garden- everything except the kale plants that are still going strong. So I harvested some of the kale and thought this cottage pie would be a great place to add the kale without it taking over. It absolutely worked perfectly. If you don’t like kale or don’t want to use it, you can use spinach or any green you prefer. Or even green peas or diced carrots, really. It’s pretty adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand and want to include.
Squash-Topped Cottage Pies
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cups chopped kale
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 teaspoon salt few grinds fresh black pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook for another minute. Reduce heat to medium, stir in ground beef and cook until browned. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper and flour, and cook, stirring, for just a minute or two until everything is incorporated. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth is the consistency of thick gravy, about 4 minutes. Stir in kale and cook until wilted and most of the liquid has disappeared- about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Place squash in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil gently until the squash is tender- about 7 or 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the smoked paprika. Divide the meat mixture among four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins or soup bowls. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the squash. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until it is just melted, about 3 minutes more.