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    Home » Recipes » Family meals

    Cottage Pie

    Published: Sep 27, 2023 · Modified: Mar 1, 2024 by Libby Hakim · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If cosiness and contentment were edible, they'd be Cottage Pie. A piping hot pie on a chilly evening has brought comfort for generations, and this recipe only takes minutes to put one together and get it in the oven.

    cottage pie in dish.
    Jump to:
    • What is Cottage Pie?
    • Ingredient notes
    • How to make Cottage Pie
    • Enjoying your pie
    • More recipes for contentment
    • Cottage Pie

    What is Cottage Pie?

    Cottage Pie is a pie without the pastry shell and generally consists of minced meat and chopped vegetables topped with mashed potato. It's cooked in a casserole dish.

    The dish originated in Britain in the 18th century as a frugal use of leftovers.

    Here, the Cottage Pie Recipe I am sharing is probably a bit less frugal – it includes an egg and cheese in the ingredient list – but it's still an economical meal. And the little extras make it amazingly delicious.

    What is the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie?

    They are both very similar dishes, with the key difference being the type of meat used. While Cottage Pie is made with beef mince, Shepherd's Pie calls for lamb mince.

    Ingredient notes

    The ingredients you'll need are:

    • beef mince
    • onion (finely chopped)
    • carrot (diced)
    • celery (diced)
    • oil (vegetable or olive)
    • beef stock
    • tomato paste
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • potatoes
    • chicken or vegetable stock cube
    • butter
    • egg
    • grated cheese.

    Find the ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    ingredients for cottage pie.

    How to make Cottage Pie

    You'll need a casserole dish (of approximately 2 litre capacity) or 4 smaller dishes for individual servings.

    Start by pre-heating your oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).

    Making the minced meat layer

    Next, fry the onion in oil over low heat until translucent.

    Add the beef mince and increase heat to med-high. Cook until browned, chopping mince as it cooks.

    Add the carrot and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes.

    Next, add the beef stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer.

    Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

    TIP: Add a teaspoon of flour mixed into a tablespoon of water towards the end of the simmering time to thicken the sauce if necessary.

    how to make cottage pie.

    Making the potato layer

    Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes.

    Boil the potato (adding the stock cube to the water) until tender.

    Drain the potatoes and then add the butter, egg and ⅔ of the cheese while mashing the potatoes.

    Putting it all together

    Pour the cooked minced meat into the casserole dish.

    Next, spoon potato mash over the top, smoothing to ensure the mince layer is completely covered.

    Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

    Cook in the oven for 40 minutes.

    adding potato layer to cottage pie.

    Enjoying your pie

    Cottage Pie can be enjoyed hot or cold and can be kept for up to a few days in the fridge and re-heated.

    I love it served piping hot, straight from the oven, with Tomato Sauce on the side.

    You can freeze leftover Cottage Pie for up to three months. Wrap well and then freeze.

    More recipes for contentment

    If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like these:

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    Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)

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    cottage pie.

    Cottage Pie

    Libby Hakim
    Classic comfort food at its best, this quick and easy meal is so popular during the cooler weather.
    4.75 from 4 votes
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    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Australian, British, New Zealand
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 743 kcal

    Equipment

    • casserole dish (approx 2 litre capacity) (or 4 smaller dishes for individual serves)

    Ingredients
      

    • 500 grams beef mince
    • 1 onion (finely chopped)
    • 1 carrot (diced)
    • 1 celery stick (diced)
    • 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or olive)
    • 2 cups beef stock
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 kg potatoes
    • 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup grated cheese (100 grams)

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius/355 degrees fahrenheit).
    • Fry onion in oil over low heat until translucent.
    • Add beef mince and increase heat to med-high. Cook until browned, chopping mince as it cooks.
    • Add carrot and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add beef stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add a teaspoon of flour mixed into a tablespoon of water towards the end of the simmering time to thicken the sauce if necessary.
    • Peel and chop potatoes into cubes. Boil (adding the stock cube to the water) until tender.
    • Drain potatoes and then add the butter, egg and ⅔ of the cheese while mashing the potatoes.
    • Pour mince mixture into the casserole dish. Then spoon potato mash over the top, smoothing to ensure mince mixture is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
    • Cook in oven for 40 minutes.

    Notes

    Storing:
    Cottage Pie can be enjoyed hot or cold and can be kept for up to a few days in the fridge and re-heated.
    Freezing:
    You can freeze leftover Cottage Pie for up to three months. Wrap well and then freeze.
    Nutrition:
    The nutrition information is an automatically generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
    Tips:
    Add a teaspoon of flour mixed into a tablespoon of water towards the end of the simmering time to thicken the sauce if necessary.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 743kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 38gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 745mgPotassium: 1890mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3116IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 293mgIron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?If you love it, let me know!

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    Comments

    1. Julie Peacock

      August 29, 2024 at 6:21 pm

      5 stars
      Just love this cottage pie recipe.Very simple to make and with the carrot and celery adding to the delicious flavour.
      Potato topping is just so very tasty with potatoes being cooked in chicken stock and then the addition of cheese when mashing the potato.Definitely a five star recipe.

      Reply
    4.75 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Libby, a recipe collector and writer. I love everything about home cooking and share modern classics and recipes that have been passed down for generations – I hope you find a few that bring back treasured memories.

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