Cottage Pie

Ultra cozy and belly-warming, my cottage pie is the epitome of homemade comfort food, a simple yet rustic and elegant dish. Prepared with lean ground beef simmered in a savory sauce with veggies and herbs, this recipe is made extra special and delicious topped with fluffy cheddar-chive mashed potatoes!

A classic pub-style pie

There are certain recipes that make me feel warm and fuzzy, extra comfy-cozy, and just plain ol' happy, and cottage pie is at the top of that list.

Cottage pie is a classic mince meat pie popular in pubs and home kitchens in the UK and Ireland. It's just the mouthwatering dish to take the chill off and fill a hungry belly with an abundance of love and nurture.

My cottage pie recipe is the perfect for when you're craving something hearty and filling, or simply long to prepare a rustic and delicious dish that speaks of care and nourishment.

Brimming with a mouthwatering sauce filled with ground beef and lots of savory morsels, then topped with extra flavorful, fluffy mashed potatoes that just melt away on the tongue, this cottage pie will definitely feel like a hug in food form.

You can taste the love and coziness in each and every delectably piping-hot spoonful!

My recipe for cottage pie

While the terms "cottage pie" and "shepherd's pie" are often used interchangeably, there is actually a bit of a difference between them.

While shepherd's pie is typically made with lamb (though many recipes these days simply use ground beef), cottage pie is specifically made with ground beef, or "minced" beef, as it's referred to in Britain.

What is truly delicious about cottage pie is how simple and tasty the ingredients are, and how comforting and wonderfully rustic the presentation is, which is a big part of the appeal.

The sauce for cottage pie is rich and savory, and mine is prepared with organic, grass-fed ground beef, along with diced onions, carrots and celery, plus peas, thyme and parsley added in at the end.

There's a dash of Worcestershire sauce added in as well as a couple spoonfuls of tomato paste to awaken the flavor, which gives this cottage pie filling a lot of depth.

While classic mashed potatoes are typically used as the topping (there is no traditional "pie" crust used in this dish), I make mine extra mouthwatering and a bit special by folding in grated, sharp white cheddar cheese and minced chives—scrumptious! These mashed potatoes are super creamy, fluffy, and absolutely the BEST topper for this cottage pie.

Here's a glance at my cottage pie recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I put my potatoes "on the boil", to prepare my cheddar-chive mashed potatoes.
2. While the potatoes cook, I prep my savory cottage pie filling by simmering together my aromatic veggies, ground beef and seasonings just until the veggies are tender (very quick cook time), then folding in my peas and herbs in the end.
3. Once the potatoes have become tender, I then drain them well, mash, and fold in the delicious added morsels.
4. To assemble the cottage pie, I top the filling with big mounds of the creamy mashed potatoes, then swirl them decoratively to smooth them out, and bake the cottage pie for roughly 25 minutes, until hot, bubbly, and gently browned on top.
5. I allow the cottage pie to rest for about 10 minutes (it's extremely hot when fresh out of the oven), then top with additional chives as garnish, and dig in!

Recipe

Cottage Pie

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This cozy cottage pie is brimming with beef and vegetables in a savory sauce, topped with fluffy, cheddar-chive mashed potatoes!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: British

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 633 calories per serving

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Beef Filling Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced fairly small
• 3 ribs celery, diced fairly small
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 (heaping) tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup beef stock or beef broth
• ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Cheddar-Chive Mashed Potatoes Ingredients:

• 3 ¾ to 4 pounds russet potatoes (roughly 5 large potatoes), peeled and cubed
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 cup milk, room temp
• 1 ¼ cup grated, sharp white cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup minced chives, plus extra for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your mashed potatoes ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To make the cheddar-chive mashed potatoes, add the cubed potatoes to a large pot (at least 6 quart), and cover with cold water. Add enough salt so that things taste a bit like the ocean, as potatoes can use quite a lot.
3. Bring the potatoes to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and allow the potatoes to simmer (fairly vigorously) for roughly 22 to 25 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife or fork.
4. While the potatoes cook, gather and prep all of your beef filling ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
5. To prepare the filling, place a 4 quart, heavy-bottom braiser over medium heat, and drizzle in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. (If you don't have an oven-safe braiser, use any large pan to prep the filling, then transfer things to a 3 to 4 quart casserole/baking dish to bake.)
6. Once the oil is hot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, along with a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and saute the veggies for about 3 to 5 minutes, to slightly soften them.
7. Next, add in the ground beef plus a pinch more salt/pepper, and using a wooden spoon, break up the beef and cook it with the veggies until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Then, add in the garlic and the Italian seasoning, and stir those in until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add in the Worcestershire sauce and the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate.
9. Next, sprinkle in the flour and stir it in to incorporate, then pour in the beef stock or broth, and stir to combine.
10. Allow the filling to very gently simmer, uncovered, for about 5 to 10 minutes, or just until the carrots are mostly softened. Then, turn off the heat and add in the peas, the parsley and the thyme, and stir to combine. Keep the filling warm.
11. Preheat the oven to 375°, and line a sheet pan with foil.
12. Once the potatoes have cooked and are tender, drain them very well of water. Add in the butter and milk, and using a masher, mash the potatoes until very smooth and as lump-free as possible. Add additional salt, if needed, plus a good pinch of pepper to taste, as well.
13. Next, add in the grated cheddar cheese and the ¼ cup of minced chives, and fold those into the mashed potatoes just until incorporated.
14. To assemble the cottage pie, if using an oven-safe braiser, then spoon the cheddar-chive mashed potatoes directly over top of the beef filling in large mounds. Using an offset knife or spatula, smooth and swirl the creamy potatoes over the filling as you would if you were frosting a cake, to make it rustic looking. And if transferring to a baking/casserole dish, then spoon the beef filling into the baking dish, and proceed by topping with the mashed potatoes and smoothing/swirling them over top of the filling.
15. Place the cottage pie onto the foil-lined sheet pan (this will catch any juicy drips), and place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, switch the oven setting to "broil", and broil the top of the potatoes for 2 to 4 minutes, just until lightly browned.
16. Allow the cottage pie to sit for about 10 minutes or so, as it will be extremely hot. Then, garnish with the remaining chives, and enjoy.

Tips & Tidbits for my cottage pie recipe:

• Lean, organic and grass-fed beef: If you can, opt for organic, lean ground beef here (93/7 ratio), with organic and grass-fed being an even healthier option. The flavor is better, and the quality of meat is healthier, and typically only costs a couple bucks more these days.
• Substitutions for the ground beef: You can easily sub ground turkey or chicken for the beef, if you'd prefer to skip the red meat, or would like to lighten things up just a little. Dark meat turkey is probably a little more robust and flavorful. You could even sub ground soy, a vegetarian option very similar in texture to ground beef. It's typically found where they keep tofu and other meat-free options in the market.
• Extra sharp white cheddar for extra tasty potatoes: I love a bit of sharp, cheesy flavor in the potatoes to create that mouthwatering lid on this cottage pie. So I opt for Cabot extra sharp white cheddar, and grate it myself. Grated parmesan is another nice option, or you can use a any cheese you prefer that would compliment the flavors in the cottage pie.
• How to prepare ahead: You can save yourself some time by preparing the beef filling a day or two ahead of when you'd like to serve this cottage pie. You can then cook your potatoes fresh the day you'd like to assemble the pie, bake and serve. The potatoes need to be warm and fresh, fluffy and creamy.

Hungry for more cozy recipes? Check out my recipe for Beef Pot Pie, Savory Hand Pies, Guinness Beef Stew, Chicken Pot Roast, or even my recipe for Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits!