Gluten Free Bison Cottage Pie with Mashed Potato Love

I have this wonderful friend and one of her famous lines is, I just want to smother myself in mashed potatoes and hide till winter is over! When I heard her say this for the first time, I knew exactly what she meant! Mashed potatoes make you feel warm and cozy, on your insides and we are all looking for that up North Right now!

January is here and full blown New England winter is on us! All I can think about is mashed potato love, right now at dinner time!

So I give you, my version of Cottage Pie!

Bison Gluten Free Cottage Pie

Ingredients;

• Gluten Free Reduced Sodium Worcestershire sauce 2oz

• Gluten Free Deep Red Wine 4-8oz

• 2 Lbs of Ground Bison or Lamb if you prefer

• Dairy Free butter or regular butter if you so choose

• Coconut Milk

• Organic Russet Potatoes 4-8

• Onion diced and Fresh multi colored carrots thinly chopped.

• 1 bag of organic frozen peas and carrots mixture

• Spices, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Cracked Pepper, Paprika, Garlic Poweder

• potato starch

• Very Large oven safe cast iron skillet

First , you want to set your oven to 350 degrees. Then make sure your cast iron skillet has been seasoned and is ready to hold your ingredients. Next chop up your russet potatoes so they can boil inside a pot to make a firm mashed potato. I don't cook them very long just enough to mash them firmly, you don't want them to be so soft for this recipe! After that I take the frozen peas and carrots out of the freezer and set the bag aside.

Next I start browning 2lbs of ground Bison. While that is browning, pour the Worcestershire sauce over top and add fresh cracked pepper. While that is going on low to medium heat, Start dicing the onion, slide that over on the cutting board and then thinly slice the multi colored carrots. Now, slide over the browned Bison, splitting the skillet into two sections, Add diced and sliced veggies to the Skillets, Sweat those veggies in the skillet for about two minutes then pour the wine over everything in the skillet. Add in the Paprika,fresh Thyme, give it a good stir, now turn the heat source off and let sit.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on those boiling potatoes! When they are ready to drain, set them back inside the pot add only a large hunk of Butter or no dairy butter ,splash of coconut milk, fresh thyme, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper. Mix with an electric ,hand mixer until you have a very thick paste of mashed potatoes. set aside. Yes I have considered taking nap in the pan, I am telling you winter days, we should all be covered in mashed potato blankets!

Now make your Potato starch mixture in a seperate bowl for thickening and add that too the skillet mixture. After that is complete, evenly pour over the frozen peas and carrots.

On to the last layer, here comes the potato paste layer in the skillet. It should nice in thick like it is holding in all the flavors below! Decorate the top, with freshThyme and butter !!. Bake the entire skillet for about 30 minutes or until crusty brown on top!

Pour your self a glass of wine and relax, personally I enjoy a game of Gin Rummy with Southernman while it bakes! Once its ready, let the Cottage Pie sit for about 20 minutes to rest and make sure all those amazing flavors meld together! I love to serve this on a large white dinner plate, with a warm roll. Southernman loves his warm rolls! If you are home for the evening I say, have another glass of wine!

Cheers!