Italian Sausage Cottage Pie

Oh did my kids love these cottage pies! This is one o f those recipes that I put together at the very last minute. I have an eye infection, and really did not want to make anything. But the alternative was to take 6 people , in freezing weather, to a restaurant. So I decided to put something together. I had a pound of hot italian sausage, red peppers , potatoes and onions so I decided to make an italians sausage base and a pot of mashed potatoes tp go on top, It had a very italian twist to it, especially with the creamy potatoes topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and shaved parmesan cheese. I mixed it up a little and put them into individual ramekins. I will definitely make these again. Especially since  the boys all said they loved it and went for seconds.

Italian Sausage Cottage Pie
Ingredients:

     8-10 yukon gold potatoes, diced

     salt and pepper  to taste

     1/4 cup butter

     1 lb hot Italian sausage

     2 tablespoons canola oil

     1 small onion, diced

     2 red bell peppers, diced

     3 garlic cloves, minced

     salt and pepper

     1/2 tsp oregano

     1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

      1/2 c parmesan cheese, shaved

 

Directions:

 

• Preheat oven 375°F.
• Cook the potatoes in salted water until they are cooked. Drain them. Mash them with the butter and season them with salt and pepper. Put aside. 
• Take the sausages out of their casing and set on a plate.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the peppers and the onions and cook for  about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add salt,pepper   and  oregano.         
• Put back the frying pan on the stove and cook the sausage meat until cooked. Drain the fat out of the pan. Add the pepper-onion mixture into the meat.
• Put the meat evenly in 6 ramekins , or a  8x8 dish. Add the mashed potatoes on top of the meat and top with the breadcrumbs and shaved parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 25 minutes for the ramekins, and 35-40 for the baking dish. The potatoes will be slightly browned and the cheese melted and bubbly.