Cottage Pie Recipe

Ground beef and veggies are cooked in a rich brown gravy and then baked under a topping of cheesy mashed potatoes.

It’s a classic cozy favorite that’s so simple to make, it’ll be on constant rotation year-round!

What’s the difference between cottage pie vs. shepherd’s pie? It’s the meat! While many of us make this dish with ground beef and call it Shepherd’s pie, a true classic Shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb while a cottage pie is made with ground beef or another type of ground meat.

MEAT Ground beef is affordable and readily available (and it makes this hearty dish so delish)! If using ground turkey or chicken, we like to add extra seasonings or even beef bouillion for flavor.

VEGETABLES Savory veggies like onions, carrots, celery, and frozen peas are just the basics! Feel free to add any other veggies or save time and use a bag of mixed vegetables.

POTATOES Cheesy mashed potatoes are the perfect topper. This cottage pie recipe is a great way to enjoy leftover mashed potatoes, packaged scalloped potatoes, or even instant mash.

Cheddar cheese has a bold flavor that complements the other ingredients but leave it out if you’d prefer!

SAUCE Cottage pie is famous for its rich savory sauce! Beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and a handful of seasonings are all it takes to make a savory sauce. However, a package of gravy mix or a can of tomato soup (we do this in our shortcut shepherd’s pie) will also make a great hearty sauce.

Brown the ground beef in an oven-proof 10-inch skillet. Top it with the potatoes and bake it right in the skillet for fewer dishes to wash. No oven-proof skillet, no problem! Use a 2 to 2 1/2 qt baking dish or casserole dish.

Did your family love this Cottage Pie? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Cottage pie

Make our classic meat and potato pie for a comforting dinner. This great-value family favourite freezes beautifully and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser

Prep: 35min

Total: 2h25min

Nutrition Facts: calories 600 calories, Fat 34 grams fat, Saturated Fat 16 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 40 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 37 grams protein, Sodium 1.15 milligram of sodium

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1¼kg beef mince
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• large glass of red wine (optional)
• 850ml beef stock
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• a few thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.8kg potatoes, chopped
• 225ml milk
• 25g butter
• 200g strong cheddar, grated
• freshly grated nutmeg

Instruction:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry 1¼kg beef mince until browned – you may need to do this in batches. Set aside as it browns.
2. Put the other 2 tbsp olive oil into the pan, add 2 finely chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped celery sticks and cook on a gentle heat until soft, about 20 mins.
3. Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 tbsp plain flour and 1 tbsp tomato purée, increase the heat and cook for a few mins, then return the beef to the pan.
4. Pour over a large glass of red wine, if using, and boil to reduce it slightly before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a few thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.
5. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 45 mins. By this time the gravy should be thick and coating the meat. Check after about 30 mins – if a lot of liquid remains, increase the heat slightly to reduce the gravy a little. Season well, then discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
6. Meanwhile, make the mash. In a large saucepan, cover the 1.8kg potatoes which you’ve peeled and chopped, in salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until tender.
7. Drain well, then allow to steam-dry for a few mins. Mash well with the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese, then season with freshly grated nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
8. Spoon the meat into 2 ovenproof dishes. Pipe or spoon on the mash to cover. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
9. If eating straight away, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25-30 mins, or until the topping is golden.
10. If you want to use a slow cooker, brown your mince in batches then tip into your slow cooker and stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs with some seasoning. Cover and cook on High for 4-5 hours. Make the mash following the previous steps, and then oven cook in the same way to finish.

Cottage Pie

Everyone’s favorite comfort foods are cooked into this hearty cottage pie!

Prep: 20min

Total: 80min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 409 kcal, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 83 mg, Sodium 443 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 6 g, unSaturated Fat 6 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 carrots (½ inch diced)
• 2 ribs celery (½ inch diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• ⅔ cup peas
• ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper each
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (or Yukon gold potatoes)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• ⅓ cup warm milk
• 1 cup sharp cheddar (shredded, optional)

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large pot of cold salted water.
3. Bring the potatoes to a gentle boil and cook 13-16 minutes or until fork tender.
4. While potatoes are cooking, combine ground beef and onion in a large skillet, brown until no pink remains.
5. Add carrots, celery, and garlic to the ground beef mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
6. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
7. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Remove bay leaf, add peas, and season with salt and pepper.
8. Drain the potatoes well and mash until smooth. Stir in the butter. Add warmed milk a little bit at a time until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy, you may not need all of the milk. Stir the cheese into the potatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
9. Top the meat mixture with the potatoes and place in the oven. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Cottage Pie

Recipe video above. One of the greatest comfort foods of all time! A ground beef (mince) filling in a tasty gravy, topped with mashed potato. Make it a Shepherd’s Pie simply by swapping the beef for lamb.

Prep: 15min

Total: 90min

Yield: 5

Serving Size: 602 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 602 g, calories 611 kcal, Carbohydrate 50.1 g, Protein 53 g, Fat 19.6 g, Saturated Fat 7.8 g, Cholesterol 149 mg, Sodium 681 mg, Fiber 7.1 g, Sugar 8.1 g, unSaturated Fat 11.8 g

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves (, minced)
• 1 onion (, finely chopped)
• 1 carrot (, finely chopped*)
• 1 celery (, finely chopped*)
• 750g / 1.5 lb beef mince (ground beef)
• 1/4 cup (40g) flour ((plain / all purpose))
• 1/4 cup (55g) tomato paste
• 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock / broth (, low sodium)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) red wine (or water)
• 1 beef bouillon cube (, crumbled (stock cube, or 1 tsp stock powder))
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme ((or 3 sprigs fresh thyme))
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1.2 kg / 2.5 lb potatoes (, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes)
• 2/3 cup (165 ml) milk (, warmed)
• 2 tbsp (30g) butter
• 2 tbsp (30g) butter
• 2 tbsp (20g) parmesan, grated

Instruction:

1. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened and sweet.’, ‘name’: ‘Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Then add carrots and celery. Cook for 3 minutes or until softened and sweet.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/#wprm-recipe-24602-step-0-0’}
2. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Turn heat up to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.’, ‘name’: ‘Turn heat up to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/#wprm-recipe-24602-step-0-1’}
3. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Add flour and mix in.xa0Add tomato paste, broth, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.’, ‘name’: ‘Add flour and mix in.xa0Add tomato paste, broth, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/#wprm-recipe-24602-step-0-2’}
4. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Bring to simmer, then turn down heat so it is simmering rapidly – I have it on medium high. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to a gravy consistency (Note 1) (see video). Taste then add more salt if desired.’, ‘name’: ‘Bring to simmer, then turn down heat so it is simmering rapidly – I have it on medium high. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to a gravy consistency (Note 1) (see video). Taste then add more salt if desired.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/#wprm-recipe-24602-step-0-3’}
5. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Transfer to 6 cup pie dish (1.5 litre / quart). Cover, cool if you have time (even overnight). Cool filling = easier to top with mash (Note 2)’, ‘name’: ‘Transfer to 6 cup pie dish (1.5 litre / quart). Cover, cool if you have time (even overnight). Cool filling = easier to top with mash (Note 2)’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/cottage-pie/#wprm-recipe-24602-step-0-4’}
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Our Favourite Cottage Pie Recipe

We love cottage pie. The sauce is really simple and flavourful, but the best part is the insanely fluffy mashed potato topping.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h20min

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 400 g beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek halved lengthways, and thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. tomato puree
• 2 tbsp. plain flour
• 200 mL red wine
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 500 mL beef stock
• Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs, chopped
• 1.25kg floury potatoes (such as Maris Pipers), peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 200 g frozen peas
• 75 g mature Cheddar, grated

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan). Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and once hot add the beef mince. Cook the mince, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon until golden brown all over, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Transfer to a bowl then add onion, leek, carrot, and celery, adding a drizzle of oil if the pan has started to dry out. Cook the vegetables until lightly browned and softened, a further 5-6 minutes.
3. Return the beef mince to the pan with the tomato puree and flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes then add the red wine, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened and the flavour has intensified, 25-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a large pan of salted boiling water until tender, 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2-3 minutes. Return the potatoes to the pan over low heat, add the butter and milk and mash until smooth using a potato masher or a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Once the beef mixture is ready, stir through the peas and transfer to a 1.5-2 litre baking dish. Top with the mashed potato and smooth to cover with the back of a fork. Scatter over the grated cheese and bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

How to Make Classic Cottage Pie | Waitrose

FAQ

What is traditional cottage pie made of?

What is difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie?

What is in James Martin’s cottage pie?

• 2k beef brisket.
• 1 onion, peeled and diced.
• 1 bulb garlic, 1/2d.
• 1 carrot.
• 1 stick celery.
• 1 leek 1/2d.
• Few sprigs rosemary, thyme and bay.
• Salt and pepper.

What do you put with a cottage pie?