Pressure Cooker Cottage Pie

 

So, if you've seen my last few weeks of meal planning, you know I've been making a chicken dish for lunch, and a beef dish for dinner. 

This week I made cottage pie using the homemade chicken stock from the lunch recipe. I hope you find a recent chicken recipe on my blog that you'll be able to enjoy, and use the leftover stock for this one too!

I have been using my pressure cooker for everything these days. I used it to sauté the beef, and celery, and mushrooms. I used it to sauté the chicken for the chicken stock. And I used it to "boil" the potatoes. So handy!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds 93/7 ground beef.
• 16 ounces mushrooms (any kind).
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme.
• 2 stalks of celery.
• 5 pounds potatoes (any kind).
• 1/8 cup soy sauce.
• 1/8 cup heavy cream.
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce.
• 2 tbsp corn starch.
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.
• 1 tsp onion powder.
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream.
• The leftover chicken stock from 4-5 pounds of cooked chicken (or 1 quart).
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. For starters, I'll just tell you how to make the chicken stock. I'd say you could buy it, but can you? Unless it looks like loose jello when it's refrigerated, you're buying salty water. 
2. I always make 2 chicken dishes per week out of 4-5 pounds of chicken (white meat if you're picky like me).
3. You just dice it up and sauté it in your pressure cooker for 20 minutes (stirring every 3 minutes). Fish out the chicken, and you've got about a quart of stick to use 🙌. Store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
4. Sauté the beef in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes. Break up the meat with a wooden spatula, and stir it every 3 minutes until it's done.
5. Transfer the beef to a glass storage container. 
6. Rinse mushrooms. Break off the stems, and dice all of them up, including the stems. Add them to the instant pot but don't turn it on yet. 
7. Rinse, trim and dice the celery, and add that to the mushrooms.
8. Sauté the vegetables until they start to brown, but not burn (about 12 minutes). Once they get to that point, add the chicken stock and thyme. Stir well.
9. In a separate container, combine soy sauce, heavy cream (only 1/8 cup), balsamic/Worcestershire, corn starch, garlic, onion, pepper, and stir well. 
10. Pour over stock mixture snd stir well. If your 20 minute sauté timer goes off, turn on the keep warm setting, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
11. Retrieve thyme and discard. Turn off pressure cooker.
12. Pour stock mixture over beef and stir well. You can either refrigerate this until you're ready to make the potatoes, or you can go ahead and divide this among two 9x13 casserole dishes. Spread evenly. 
13. Peel potatoes, and cut in half lengthwise.
14. Cut each half into another 1/2 lengthwise.
15. Cut each quarter into 1.5 inch (or so) segments.
16. Toss these into the pressure cooker. 
17. Cover with water until the potatoes are just covered. Stir.
18. Top with lid. Close the lid. Set vent to seal. And cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Release pressure according to your machines safety guidelines.
19.  Strain potatoes into a colander and rinse with cold water (this is so they are cool enough to put them in a food processor).
20. Add potatoes to a food processor, a little at a time, depending on the size of your machine (I had to do mine in 3 parts), and add salt and cream to your desired taste and texture. You can use up to the entire pint of cream.
21. Pour potatoes over beef mixture in even quantities.
22. Add additional salt and pepper over the top, if desired.
23. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.

Serves 10