Fluffy Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes Recipe
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour, 45 minutes
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 baking potatoes
  • 1 + 1 + 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • ½ cup diced carrot
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • ⅓ cup red wine
  • ½ cup beef stock
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Prepare the potatoes by pricking them all over with a fork, then coating them in 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  3. Place the potatoes into the oven to bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high in a large pan.
  5. Add the ground beef, season it well with salt and pepper, and brown it for 5–6 minutes.
  6. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
  7. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
  8. Saute for 6–8 minutes, until soft.
  9. Return the browned beef to the pan along with the canned tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  10. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat.
  11. When the potatoes are cooked, set aside to cool for 15 minutes and turn up the oven to 400 F.
  12. Cut the tops off of the potatoes and scoop out the soft potato insides.
  13. In a large bowl, mix together the potato insides, milk, butter, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  14. Mash it well to make the potatoes super fluffy.
  15. Spoon the beef mixture into the hollowed out potato skins.
  16. Top the meat layer with spoonfuls of the fluffy mashed potato.
  17. Sprinkle the potatoes with the grated cheddar cheese.
  18. Place the filled potatoes into the oven to bake for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
  19. Serve the potatoes hot from the oven.