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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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!
Nagi, you’ve made a cook out of me! Seriously I was so insecure in the kitchen but I always feel confident following your recipes. I love all your recipes, and this cottage pie was no different. The meat gravy was amazing! Many thanks.
Made this and it was so easy and my entire family loved it! Even my very picky teenage son. Will be making again and again thank you for such a great detail detailed recipe and all the fool proof tips!
Can I use instant mash potatoes?
Hi Irina – I don’t recommend that sorry! N x
No worries. Thank you for letting me know. I made it before as per recipe and was great.
Well, I had a mixture of lamb and veal minced meat and used that. Does that make it a cottage shepherd’s pie ? 😉
In any event, this one is definitely a keeper. As usual, your recipe is so clear and detailed! Thank you!
The addition of the mirepoix is a winner. And the parmesan on the potato layer – great. I think I will try to add peas as well next time.
Once again, thank you.
Sounds like a nice mix!! N x
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it many times 😊 There seems to be an Oxo shorting over in WA!! I can’t find a good substitute. Do you know of one Nagi?
Hi Sally – you can use another stock cube brand if you can’t find Oxo. N x
Thanks. I will keep trying to find one as good 😊
Thanks. I’m yet to find one as good but will keep trying 😊
Delicious! This was a hit with my family and is now my new go to recipe for cottage pie! Thank you Nagi!
I’ve always made a boring cottage pie, mainly because people here like boring 🙄🙄 but tonight I did THIS! And I will never do boring cottage pie again. It is fabulous 💫
Cottage pie should NOT be boring! N x
Its a British Classic , and oh boy this recipe is very classy !!!!!
My family loved it … Thank you again Nagi … You have inspired me so much … Everything i try is truly fabulous
Cheers!! N x
Love love love this! So delish!
This has become my go-to recipe for cottage pie, my adult kids love it and request it when they’re home. My alteration is I microwave the carrots for 1-2 minutes before adding them to the pan. They never seemed to get soft enough otherwise. Thanks for typing all of this up for us, Nagi! 🙂
Made this last night. Turned out fabulous! Gave me a good reason to watch a Christmas movie while I happily chopped, sautéed and mashed. Warmed our tummies on a cold, rainy, winter night. Excellent recipe and instructions. Tasted almost better for lunch today! Thanks for the inspiration!
I saw this posted on FB this morning and it made my mouth water. So Cottage pie for dinner this evening. However, I add cumin, paprika and mushrooms chopped finely to the beef and leave out the carrots as I find them too sweet. I also add cheese to the mash potato and mix it through. So not really a cottage pie, but my take on it.
Made this tonight with pork mince. It was a winner!!! Definitely saving this one! Thank you!!
Just made this for my friend who was craving comfort food after having her baby. Huge success! I made slight modifications and used 1 lb of ground beef and dumped a 1 lb bag of frozen veggie mix (green beans, lima beans, carrots, peas, corn) in with the sautéing onion and garlic. Didn’t have beef bouillon. Subbed dried oregano for bay leaves. Added some fresh thyme and rosemary to the mashed potatoes. Will for sure be making this again. Thanks for such a tasty recipe!
So good!
This is the second time that I have made this on a Sunday when my son comes over to eat. He always takes half the leftovers with him ! Thank you very much for the great recipes!
Excellent, enjoyed
WOW 🤩 absolutely wow! So rich, so creamy, so flavourful! Served veg on the side instead of inside and left potato skins on. Amazing!
This has always been a comfort food meal for me, and your recipe kicks it up a notch, thank you!
We made this on Sunday and have plenty of leftovers 😁
Easy and yummy. I prepared the filling ahead of time and portioned into 4 large ramekins. For me, the filling thickened very quickly (5 mins). Great meal!