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Home Collections Winter Warmers

Cottage Pie

By:Nagi
Published:21 May '20Updated:26 Mar '21
606 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 224 votes
Servings5 - 8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 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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  • Shepherd’s Pie (lamb – because Shepherd’s herd sheep!)

  • Chunky Beef and Mushroom Pie

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  • 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!

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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606 Comments

  1. Odette says

    July 31, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    Best Cottage pie recipe, thank you. I love your baked berry cheesecake recipe too with detailed instructions..turned out perfect each time

    Reply
  2. Diana says

    July 31, 2022 at 7:27 am

    Hello Nagi,
    I love your site full of excellent recipes. Today I’m searching for vegetarian ideas and came across this cottage pie which is obviously in the wrong place.
    I just thought I’d let you know so that true vegetarians don’t keep getting meat recipes when searching for dinner ideas.
    Take care,
    Diana

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    July 29, 2022 at 10:14 am

    I cheated! I guess you could say I Americanized this recipe. I used canned corn and carrots, because that was what I had, and instant potatoes. But, it was fine! I’m sure following your recipe would have been better, but it is what it is! I’ll make this again, probably the same way, although my son would like me to cut back on the wine.

    Reply
  4. Narelle says

    July 28, 2022 at 8:03 pm

    So delicious and so simple! I loved this recipe, will be adding it to my regular rotation of easy, scrumptious, affordable, family friendly weeknight meals. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  5. Bindu says

    July 27, 2022 at 8:10 am

    5 stars
    Super yummy… made for my kids ……… but my husband and I couldn’t resist too!!

    Reply
  6. Alan Butler says

    July 23, 2022 at 5:44 am

    For the best creamiest mashed potatoes, crack an egg in as you are mashing and give it a good old mix. So life changing.

    Reply
  7. Amelia says

    July 22, 2022 at 6:46 am

    Hi Nagi! Thanks for this recipe it’s so delicious!

    If anyone wants to make this vegetarian, I added mushrooms and used Quorn mince and vege stock cubes and it came out great too.

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    July 17, 2022 at 11:40 am

    I truly believe you are one of the best-ever food bloggers. This is one of my all-time favourite recipes. Making tonight to serve to family visiting tomorrow. I’ve made a handful of times now, and it is so addictively delicious.

    Also, I laughed out loud when I read what you wrote about Dover and then scrolled for the pics. Poor guy!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      July 17, 2022 at 11:41 am

      Edit: Dozer! Sorry!

      Reply
  9. Chloe says

    July 14, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    I am thinking of adding a bunch of mushrooms to this recipe coz I love beef mushrooms and potatoes.
    Any advice before I do so?

    Reply
    • Dan says

      July 17, 2022 at 6:20 am

      Wipe the dirt off the mushrooms, then chop them to hearty chunks. I’d at them towards the end of the simmering stage of everything, cook them for only a couple minutes. Then proceed with the potato topping and back. Comes out great.

      Reply
      • Dan says

        July 17, 2022 at 6:22 am

        Ok, so I guess I can’t type tonight, lol. I meant “add” them towards the end of the simmering stage. Also, I meant “bake” instead of “back”. Good luck!

        Reply
  10. Ian Penrose says

    July 5, 2022 at 6:59 am

    Your cottage pie recipe – you list 1 celery in the ingredients. I assume that you mean 1 stick of celery. You recipes are always my go to – thanks. And say hi to Dozer.

    Reply
  11. Audrey says

    July 5, 2022 at 2:01 am

    How can I make the potato topping dairy free? Can I just omit the milk and swap the butter for olive oil?

    Reply
  12. Jade says

    June 23, 2022 at 1:45 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi! I made this last night and BOY OH BOY was this a hit! I added two large finely diced mushrooms and omitted the wine for water. I usually get my husband to taste test for me and this time all my kids lined up for a try (before the pie was put together).
    Thank you for sharing! We will definitely cook this again!

    Reply
  13. Pumeza Diko says

    June 21, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    I love your receipt and develop the habit of wanting to learn how to cook as I used to hate it.

    Reply
  14. Jane says

    June 9, 2022 at 5:17 am

    Excellent recipe with very useful tips. Can’t comment on the taste personally as i’m vegetarian but was most definitely enjoyed by my meat eating family. Made twice and will now be a firm regular in our house. Thanks Nagi x

    Reply
  15. Holly says

    June 6, 2022 at 12:07 am

    I love this dish so much that I plan to share it with my mum! She is gluten free though; do you think that GF flour would thicken in the same way or is there another alternative you would recommend? Thanks for sharing this with the world!

    Reply
    • L says

      June 21, 2022 at 11:44 am

      I used brown rice flour – same amount as shown in recipe for regular flour – and it worked perfectly. Such a great meal!

      Reply
    • Chloe says

      June 28, 2022 at 9:05 am

      Hi Holly! I’m GF and I use a mixture of cold water & cornstarch (cornflour) to thicken dishes like this where it calls for regular flour

      Reply
      • Sherian McLaughlin says

        July 17, 2022 at 8:20 pm

        Thank You for the tip as I am also gluten free!

        Reply
  16. Jane S says

    June 1, 2022 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this and it is fabulous. I’m gonna be winning some brownie points at home tonight. Thank you so much. I make a cottage pie regularly but its just a “chuck things in until it look right and tastes ok. Love it.

    Reply
  17. Maddie says

    May 31, 2022 at 12:17 pm

    Making this at the moment. The mince is simmering as I write. Might not have much left for the pie. It’s so incredibly flavoursome I can’t stop testing it. Wow!!!

    Reply
  18. Barbara D Heasley says

    May 28, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    You are my food Goddess. You live just across the ditch and your ingredients are similar to ours

    Reply
  19. Lyn says

    May 27, 2022 at 6:16 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe twice now (once without red wine & once with) & both turned out delicious! I do recommend adding the red wine if you can, but either way it’s yummy. Thanks for another perfect recipe Nagi 🙏🏼🤗

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 28, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      Thanks for that feedback Lyn! N x

      Reply
    • Leah says

      August 22, 2022 at 12:48 pm

      Did you sub anything for the wine or just left it out completely?

      Reply
  20. Mina says

    May 25, 2022 at 2:58 am

    Hi,
    I just tried the recipe and it turned out wonderfully. It’s my partner’s favorite dish and I have been trying to perfect it without the filling being too watery. Only, thing is the bouillon I got was hard and not crumbly like the one in the video. So I had to fish it out and chop it up. Could you share the bouillon brand you used?

    Thank you for this great recipe!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2022 at 9:24 am

      I use Oxo brand cubes but have also used Massel with success! N x

      Reply
    • JIWA says

      June 12, 2022 at 2:20 am

      Hard bullion cubes can be dissolved in water. They take a little work mashing in a small amount of water. I use the water or wine I am going to use in the sauce, then our into the heat and stir. May need to sit a few minutes, get a little soaked and then mash some more to break down. I always check men and crumble them before putting into the pot anyway, to make sure they do not need a little help.

      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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