A Welcome-Home Supper from Our Ranch Kitchen

Our son Zach recently returned from two weeks away with his Air Force squadron. Hannah and the kids were waiting at the hangar, watching the planes come in.

And then came those excited little voices: “Is that Daddy?”

Sometimes we forget how much the families back home sacrifice right alongside those serving our country.

With Veterans Day tomorrow, I've been thinking about all the homecomings, the families waiting, and the folks who won't be home for supper this year.

So today's Cut of the Week is a good old-fashioned comfort meal.

Cowboy Cottage Pie — made right in my cast-iron skillet!

This is one of those meals that warms you up from the inside out. Good Montana ground beef, vegetables, rich gravy, and mashed potatoes with a little cheddar melted on top.

And the best part? It's all made in one skillet.

Cowboy Cottage Pie

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

For the beef filling:

1. • 2 pounds T Bar J Ranch ground beef
2. • 1 medium onion, chopped
3. • 2 cloves garlic, minced
4. • 2 tablespoons butter
5. • 3 tablespoons flour
6. • 2 cups beef broth
7. • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
8. • 2 tablespoons tomato paste or Bar-B-Q sauce
9. • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10. • Salt and pepper to taste
11. • 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, or green beans)

For the topping:

1. • 2½ pounds potatoes
2. • 4 tablespoons butter
3. • ½ cup warm milk
4. • Salt and pepper to taste
5. • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. 1. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter, warm milk, salt, and pepper.
2. 2. In a deep, oven-safe cast-iron skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion. Add garlic and cook another minute.
3. 3. Stir in the butter and flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then slowly add beef broth, stirring until a gravy forms.
4. 4. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
5. 5. Stir in the vegetables and spread the beef mixture evenly in the skillet.
6. 6. Spoon mashed potatoes over the filling, spreading gently to the edges. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
7. 7. Bake at 400°F for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

A little tip from my kitchen: I like plenty of gravy, so I added a little extra broth. And that deep cast-iron skillet worked beautifully!  I also put in Bar-B-Q sauce in place of tomato paste for some added flavor, and in a pinch, instant mashed potatoes work.

Good Beef Makes Good Suppers

Ground beef is one of the handiest things to have in your freezer. Hamburgers, chili, tacos, spaghetti, hamburger steak, and now Cowboy Cottage Pie!

If you're looking for good Montana beef for your family's supper table, we have two ways to bring it home.

   Shop T Bar J Ground Beef Bundles   

 

Or, if you'd like a freezer stocked with steaks, roasts, and plenty of ground beef, we're taking reservations for our Summer 2027 Beef Shares.

   Reserve Your Summer 2027 Beef Share   

A Special Thank-You This Veterans Day

To all our veterans, thank you for your service and the sacrifices you've made for our country.

To the men and women serving today, and to the families who stand beside them through the deployments, the missed holidays, and the homecomings, we are grateful for you, too.

From our family at T Bar J Ranch, thank you for serving and protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Thanks to the families who have reserved beef shares, we're preparing to deliver 245 pounds of ground beef to the Montana Veterans Meat Locker tomorrow.

That's a new record for our ranch!

And to our T Bar J customers who helped make this delivery possible, we're mighty grateful.

God bless our veterans, God bless our military families, and God bless America.

Amber, Al & Fritzie
T Bar J Ranch