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Home Collections Winter Warmers

Cottage Pie

By:Nagi
Published:21 May '20Updated:26 Mar '21
608 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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….)

Close up of Cottage Pie being scooped out of baking dish, ready to be served

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 😂)

Overhead photo of golden crispy mashed potato topping of Cottage Pie

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…..

Close up of beef filling for Cottage Pie ready to put in casserole dish

….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.

Overhead photo of Cottage Pie in a bowl being eaten

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.

What goes in Cottage Pie

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.

Mashed Potato topping for Cottage Pie

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!

How to make Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie – 2 little tips

I just have 2 little tips to make your Cottage Pie a resounding success:

  1. 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

  2. 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!

Close up of spoon scooping up Cottage Pie

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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Close up of Cottage Pie being served

Cottage Pie

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr 15 mins
Total: 1 hr 30 mins
Dinner
English, South Western
4.98 from 225 votes
Servings5 - 8
Tap or hover to scale
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  • 1654
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.

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:

* Carrots and celery are used to make a truly great mirepoix / soffrritto flavour base for this pie. However, they can be omitted, but add 1 tsp of sugar instead.
1. Filling thickens - Whatever the thickness of the sauce when you pour it into the tin, that's what it will be once baked - no steam escapes while baking to allow it to reduce any further. So keep cooking until it's the consistency you want.
2. Cooling the filling ensures that the potato doesn't sink into the filling and makes it much easier to spread. If you are in a rush - as I often am - pop it in the freezer while you make the potato. That works pretty well.
3. Watery potatoes drops excess liquid while baking into the filling which makes the sauce watery. So don't skip the step of steam drying the potatoes!
Also, make sure the mash is hot when spreading onto the pie. Cold mash is hard and so it is harder to dollop / spread onto the pie.
4. Variations: If I'm making this for company or am on a calorie-blow-out mission, I add a big handful of cheese into the potato and also top with more cheese before baking. It doesn't need it, it's a bonus. 🙂
For the filling, sometimes I add peas, or I reduce the amount of beef and add chopped veggies like zucchini.
5. Make ahead instructions: Assemble pie but don't bake it. Cool mashed potato topping then either refrigerate (4 days) or freeze (3 months).
Thaw if frozen (it will take way too long to bake from frozen) then bake as per recipe. Or bake from frozen - covered at 180°C/350°for 45 minutes, then 30 minutes uncovered.
Can also do individual servings in ramekins!
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 generous servings.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 602gCalories: 611cal (31%)Carbohydrates: 50.1g (17%)Protein: 53g (106%)Fat: 19.6g (30%)Saturated Fat: 7.8g (49%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 11.8gCholesterol: 149mg (50%)Sodium: 681mg (30%)Potassium: 1854mg (53%)Fiber: 7.1g (30%)Sugar: 8.1g (9%)Vitamin A: 2350IU (47%)Vitamin C: 71.8mg (87%)Calcium: 80mg (8%)Iron: 30.4mg (169%)
Keywords: cottage pie
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published October 2016. Updated 2020 with fresh new photos and video. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!

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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!

Dozer the golden retriever during photograph shooting of Cottage Pie

Dozer the golden retriever during photograph shooting of Cottage Pie

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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608 Comments

  1. marion says

    March 2, 2023 at 10:08 am

    5 stars
    Just look at that huge list of ingredients for Cottage Pie,,, when Shepherds Pie is >> Pieces of Roast lamb minced yourself, mixed with Tom Sce, pressed into Pie Dish, no vegies or flavours added, just enjoy the flavour of the Lamb Roast,,, mash potato on top,,

    Reply
    • Kerrie says

      March 7, 2023 at 3:49 am

      Have u tried it ? It’s sooooo tasty

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    January 29, 2023 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    Love using this as my base recipe and make it all the time with whatever vegetables I have! Perfect every time. Variations we have used include using 500g mince with 1) diced mushrooms (about 4-5 largish button mushrooms) and diced zucchini (half a large one); 2) cup of frozen mixed peas and corn.

    I often don’t have a red or want to open one just for half a cup so use half port and half water mix instead of the wine. Delicious!

    Also because I’m lazy I just sprinkle Parmesan on top of the potato mash before putting it in the oven.

    Love this recipe 🙂

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    December 24, 2022 at 2:48 pm

    Super decadent I know but this is so wonderfully rich when topped with your Mashed Potato Casserole, instead of just plain mash – the BEST!

    Reply
  4. Ravyn says

    December 13, 2022 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness. Nagi, my family and I thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe with the world! We’re based in northwestern Ontario, where sometimes we get winter weather colder than planet Mars (I’m not even joking on that). This recipe is truly so great for winter weather. I made this tonight and my family could not stop complimenting it! It’s going to be a new favourite in our winter recipe repertoire!

    Reply
  5. Nicholas Price says

    December 8, 2022 at 5:33 pm

    4 stars
    Hi nagi
    I grated using a microplane for the partisan, and also put a small knob of butter on top. The mash didn’t golden over as expected. Should I use more cheese on top? And do you bake with cover on or off? Thanks Nick

    Reply
  6. Amy Lim says

    October 25, 2022 at 11:31 pm

    Hi Nagi, If I don’t have parmesan cheese can I use cheddar cheese. Please advice. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

    Reply
  7. Irene de la Haye says

    October 16, 2022 at 12:04 am

    5 stars
    Love all you recipe’s and make this often. Like most people deep freeze is full and no time to allow base to cool. I’ve always been able to speed this up, by adding uncooked frozen peas, really speeds up the cooling process 🙂

    Thank You Nagi.

    BTW when will your book be available in the UK? x

    Reply
  8. Alexandra says

    September 9, 2022 at 2:24 pm

    Absolutely amazing!!!!

    Reply
  9. Yvonne Smith says

    August 30, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    5 stars
    Another 5 star recipe Nagi. I usually use my own recipe for cottage pie but yours is sooo much better. My family likes mine but they loved loved loved yours. Can’t wait to receive your cookbook which I have pre ordered. Thanks again.

    Reply
  10. John Robertshaw says

    August 30, 2022 at 3:22 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi
    As usual – brilliant – especially since I am English & have made this dish so often – yours is one step up!
    I love the ingredient calculator – I had 1kg of mince & just wound it up to 7 portions – this provide me with the weights/volumes required for all the other ingredients – so no calculations needed – thank you.
    One suggestion – have you considered putting the “dish size” in with the ingredients calculator?
    Reason is that if I select 1 portion or 20 portions & am advised to use a 1.7l dish!
    Well done & keep up the good work!
    Regards
    Julie & John

    Reply
  11. Nat says

    August 24, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    Another family favourite, thanks for those delicious recipes 🥣😋❤️

    Reply
  12. Kirsty says

    July 31, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    The best cottage pie recipe! All your recipes are amazing.. I am always very pleased when I search for a recipe and see you have posted one for the meal I wish to cook.. easy to follow and guarantee to turn out beautifully

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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