Poultry Pie

Shepherd's Pie is supposed to be made out of ground mutton (old sheep), while Cottage Pie is made with beef. Cottage Pie was really for poor people, a way to use what little food they had in their kitchens.

We sometimes make Cottage Pie, but we usually use ground turkey, so we call it Poultry Pie.

I like to add Worcestershire Sauce to my pie, which makes it even tastier. The potato topping, or crust, is my favorite part. We mix russet and sweet potatoes (the dark orange ones) together, which makes it yummy.

My mom never makes it the same way twice, but this is the recipe she gave me.

Cottage (Poultry) Pie
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut for boiling
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut for boiling
Butter
Cream

2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
A few handfuls of chopped spinach
Chopped green beans (to bite-size)
Chopped carrots (I pick these out)
(You can also add peas, corn, soy beans, or other veggies, but I prefer my Cottage Pie without them.)
Ground black pepper to taste
A few dashes of Worcesertshire Sauce
1 lb. ground turkey
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Cheddar cheese, for topping

1. Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Potatoes are ready for mashing when a pointy knife tip slides easily into the potatoes.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Put in the onions, and sautee until clear. Next add the spinach, green beans, and carrots.Add pepper to taste and a few dashes of Worcestershire. Cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the spinach has wilted and the carrots are a bit soft (not fully cooked, as they will cook more in the oven). Add the ground turkey, breaking it up and cooking thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl or a lidded plastic container, whisk or shake together the corn starch and water, until smooth. Add to the ground turkey mixture. If the mixture needs more liquid for gravy, add water from the potatoes.

4. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put in a large cookie sheet to heat.

5. Once the turkey is cooked, put it into a casserole dish. Mash the potatoes with the butter and cream, then top the turkey mixture with the mashed potatoes, making sure to spread the potatoes evenly, all the way to the edges of the casserole dish. Grate cheddar cheese on top. Carefully place the casserole dish on the large cookie sheet in the oven. Bake until the cheese starts bubbling, maybe even allowing it to brown a bit.

6. Be very careful when removing from the oven and bringing to the table. The dish will be hot and the pie will retain its heat for a long time.