Shepherd's Pie (Pork, Sausages and Apples)

appleporkcottagepie A twist on the classic. This apple-pork cottage pie is loaded with local apples, lean pork and lots of veggies. You want to choose an apple than retains its shape while cooking so you don't end up with a mushy filling.

Mashed Potatoes:
5 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ cup half-and-half cream
¼ cup butter, room temperature
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Filling:
1 lb ground pork
1 lb hot Italian sausages, casings removed, crumbled
1 lb apples, cored and thinly sliced (~ 4 small apples)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 cups onions, diced (2-3 onions)
½-1 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas

Topping:
½-1 cup cheddar cheese, freshly grated

For the Potatoes:
Place potatoes into a large pot of cold salted water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender. Drain. Add butter and milk back into the pan over medium heat. Once very hot (but not bubbling), remove from heat, add potatoes back in and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Filling:
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add in meats. Cook for a few minutes. Stir in onions and carrots. Continue cooking until the meat is browned, about 10-15 minutes. Drain excess grease (I tend to skip this as I like the added flavour and our meat is lean.) Season with salt, pepper, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. You want some liquid remaining (adding more if the meat dries out).

Stir in corn, peas and apples. Simmer for a few more minutes.

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Add the filling to a large baking dish (9x13") or a large deep 12" pie dish. Pour the potatoes on top and spread out the best you can. Top with cheese if desired.

Place into the oven, uncovered and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.