Cottage Pie – comfort food central! This English classic has a deeply savoury beef mince filling smothered in gravy topped with creamy mashed potato, baked until golden. One of the best cosy foods to make with ground beef!
Wondering what’s the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie? Same recipe except Cottage Pie is made with beef and Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb! (Because Shepherd’s herd sheep….)
Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie is a fabulous English classic, one that us Aussies have adopted as one of our beloved winter favorites! Or in my case, all-year-round-favourite.
Easy to make, economical, every day ingredients and 100% freezer friendly, it’s the sort of food that has universal appeal (well, putting aside vegetarians 😂)
There’s two components to Cottage Pie – the beef filling and the creamy mashed potato topping. The filling is beefy and deeply savoury and it WILL take willpower not to shovel it in your mouth as you’re cooking it…..
….then you get on with that creamy mashed potato filling and it WILL take serious willpower not to shovel THAT into your mouth too…
But you’ll hold out because you know that it’s worth the patience because when you pull the bubbling beauty of of the oven and see that crusty golden top, your chest will puff up with pride, everybody at the table will clap their hands with glee, and no matter how dismal the day, it’s just been made a whole lot better with your Cottage Pie.
What’s the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd’s Pie?
There is quite often confusion over the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie. Both are made the same way – a beef mince filling in a gravy sauce that is topped with mashed potato, sprinkled with parmesan then baked. (That crusty top is everything!!)
The only difference is that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb instead of beef. So if you want, just swap the beef in this recipe with lamb and you’ll have a Shepherd’s Pie!
What goes in Cottage Pie
Here’s what you need for Cottage Pie.
Feel free to switch the beef with any protein – this is delicious made with lamb (which makes it Shepherd’s Pie), chicken, turkey, pork. Also don’t fret if you don’t have carrot and celery – skip it or add other diced vegetables, like peas.
And here’s what you need for the mashed potato topping.
I like to put parmesan cheese on my Cottage Pie because it makes the top extra crispy and golden. But any melting cheese will work great.
Cottage Pie from scratch
This Cottage Pie is made from scratch, and it’s very straightforward. If you can make Bolognese and mashed potato, you can make Cottage Pie because it essentially follows the same steps!
Cottage Pie – 2 little tips
I just have 2 little tips to make your Cottage Pie a resounding success:
To stop the potato from sinking into the filling, cool the filling first. But this isn’t a deal breaker, it’s just a visual thing ie if you don’t cool the filling, the potato “bleeds” into the beef mixture; and
Ensure the filling reduces down enough (see video) to ensure you don’t end up with a watery filling after baking. It’s so disappointing when you break through the potato to be greeted with a beef sitting in a watery sauce!
How to freeze Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie is one of those rare foods that is truly perfect to make in advance. It will keep in the fridge for 4 days – assembled and ready to heat, or once cooked.
You can also freeze Cottage Pie 100% perfectly. You can bake from frozen – though it does take around 1 hour (it’s a formidable block of ice!!) or thaw then bake. Cooked leftovers also freeze well.
What goes with Cottage Pie
This is a meat and carb heavy dish, so it goes really well with fresh side salads like a Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing, or a Garden Salad with French or Italian Dressing. I recently served it with this Carrot Salad with a Honey Dijon Dressing which was a hit!
For a cosy meal on a cold winter night, try it with a side of Glazed Roasted Carrots and Sautéed Garlic Spinach. The only other thing you need is a glass of red and a crackling fire…
Or in my case, squatting by an ancient electric heater! 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Cottage Pie
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
Topping
- 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
Parmesan Crust (optional)
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter
- 2 tbsp (20g) parmesan, grated
Instructions
- 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.
- Turn heat up to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
- Add flour and mix in. Add tomato paste, broth, red wine, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- 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.
- 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)
Assemble Pie
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Cook potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain then return to pot on turned off stove. Shake briefly and allow to steam dry for 30 seconds or so (Note 3).
- Add butter and mash until melted, then add milk and salt. Mash until smooth.
- Spread onto pie, use a fork to rough up the surface (rougher surface = more golden bits). Sprinkle with paremsan, drizzle with butter (or skip this and just drizzle with olive oil)
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.
- Stand for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2016. Updated 2020 with fresh new photos and video. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!
More pie recipes
Shepherd’s Pie (lamb – because Shepherd’s herd sheep!)
Spanakopita (Greek spinach and feta pie)
Browse all cosy Winter Warmers
Life of Dozer
That’s what Dozer looks like when he’s peeved. He’s cranky because he squeezed himself under this tiny table, waited so patiently for me to finish taking photos and he didn’t get a taste test!
I have made this with and without the red wine (I used a merlot). The red wine adds depth but unsure how authentic using red wine this dish is: Cottage pie’s origins are debated, but it’s generally believed to have been invented in the United Kingdom or Ireland in the 18th century. The dish was likely developed as a way for poorer people to use leftover meat and potatoes, given that the term “cottage pie” first appeared at the end of the 18th century, coinciding with the rise of the potato as an affordable staple, especially in the UK and Ireland. The name “cottage pie” is thought to refer to the humble dwellings of the working class, where the dish was often created, I am not sure if working class had access to red wine.
This was delicious! I used water instead of wine. I went with the parm topping on mine. We have a new family favorite. Such great smells while cooking and even better taste!!
Magnificent
Excellent recipe, husband and I were licking the plate. Also did broil it for a few minutes for a bit more of a crisp and color
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Love the fact that I’m becoming great at cooking, thanks to you Nagi. Hate the fact that I’m putting on weight 😬. Oh well 🤷🏽♀️!
Delicious! Warm and comforting. I woke up thinking about how yummy it was and wish I had leftovers for today lol. And considering I made enough for 8 people to feed 6 of us and some leftovers for my son for lunch. Still all went.
Seriously the best version out there. I used Yukon golds. I added a can of diced potatoes to the mix to bulk it up…fantastic!!
This is so tasty,I love. the crunchy parm topping. thanks Nagi.
I have made this recipe several times and last night I made your carrot salad to go with it.
As always, my whole family loved it.
Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you Nagi. Just wondering, if I make it using chicken mince, would I still use beef stock & boullion or chicken ones? Thank you xx
Can I make this GF if I do a cornflour slurry instead of the flour?
You could absolutely use cornflour at the end.
This is a red hot hit in our home. I make it as written.
Note: Instead of having to spread the potatoes over the top, I use a potato ricer. It makes a massive fluffy pile of potato and little bits that stick out get nice and crispy.
Last night I used Cab Sav for the red wine component.
Thanks Nagi!!
Used vegan meat (beyond meat) and was delicious!!!!! Added the extra cheese in the potato puree.
10/10! Thanks 🙂
This is a gorgeous recipe and like anything with beef mince can be totally veggified. I used a cup of red lentils (soaked while I did the rest of the prep) and a 250g punnet of chopped mushrooms to sub. Everything else the same except veg stock and a touch more water as lentils absorb more. Gorgeous! Plus cheddar as that’s what I had. My meat eater partner verified equal tastiness!
This cottage pie is the best. My 1yo and 4yo love it. Guaranteed devoured meal. I omit the Celery as we don’t have on hand and boost the veg content with zucchini, red capsicum and a few peas. I also add either pumpkin or sweet potato to the mash blend. Couldn’t love this recipe enough! Winner
Made this for the family, absolutely delicious, your recipes are so good and easy to follow.
Have the following lines up for Christmas Day, Rib of Beef, Christmas trifle and sticky toffee pudding.
This is easily THE most accurate recipe on the internet and absolutely DIVINE. I made it yesterday for a friend and we were both blown away. I almost never follow a recipe to a T, but this time I did and I’m so glad I did. Next time I’ll add mushrooms, but just WOW!
This was delicious! I added a bit more salt, tripled the black pepper, used a whole stick of butter for the mashed potatoes, and used half and half vs milk. But the gravy here was just wonderful . definitely adding to the regular rotation!
This is the best cottage pie recipe that I’ve ever had! I’m not really a red meat eater(coz I can’t stand the aftertaste, it makes me gag) but my family is and I can say that not only can I eat this with ease but I also had 3 servings of it. We had this cottage pie with a side Italian salad. I didn’t use any wine nor broth, I just used water and add the beef stock cube. This will be my go to recipe moving forward. Thank you!
This is one great recipe. I have impressed family and friends with this baby.