Classic Cottage Pie

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 03/29/21
Easy traditional cottage pie

The Spruce
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
434 Calories
22g Fat
52g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 434
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 609mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Protein 11g
Calcium 130mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Cottage pie is one of the classic dishes in a British kitchen. It is known for being a hearty, satisfying, and warming food, and although often thought of as a winter dish, it is perfect any time of year.

A filling of ground beef, onion, carrot, and garlic is topped with creamy mashed potatoes and shredded cheese to make a fluffy topping with a crispy finish. This recipe is a great use for leftover mashed potatoes, and if you have any extra Sunday roast, feel free to replace the ground beef.

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Click Play to See This Easy Classic Cottage Pie Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • For the Mashed Potatoes:
  • 2 pounds baking potatoes (peeled and quartered)
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 4 ounces butter (cubed)
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • For the Beef Filling:
  • 1/2 tablespoon lard (or drippings)
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 2 cups ground beef
  • 2 cups beef stock (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
  • Optional: 1 cup chopped white mushrooms
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • For Topping the Pie:
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, Gruyere, or Swiss)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cottage pie
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Make the Mashed Potatoes

  1. Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with boiling water. Place over high heat and boil gently until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes.

    Place potatoes in a pan
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  2. Add the milk and butter to the pan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts.

    Drain then add butter
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  3. Add the potatoes back to the pan and mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

    Mash potatoes
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Make the Beef Filling

  1. Melt the lard or drippings in a large, deep ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes.

    Onion and carrots
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  2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, making sure not to let it burn.

    Add garlic and cook
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  3. Add the ground beef and roughly a 1/4 of the beef stock. Cook, stirring constantly until all of the meat is browned.

    Add ground beef
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  4. Add the remaining stock, the parsley, mushrooms (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes.

    Add remaining stock
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  5. Heat the oven to 375 F/190 C/Gas Mark 5. In a small bowl, mash the flour into the butter to form a paste. 

    Mash flour
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  6. Add some of the paste in small pieces to the ground meat mixture, stirring until all of the flour has dissolved.

    Add small pieces of paste
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  7. Repeat until all of the paste is used up. The sauce should thicken slightly.

    Repeat until paste is used up
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Assemble and Bake the Pie

  1. Cover the filling with the reserved mashed potatoes.

    Cover with mashed potatoes
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  2. Fluff up the potatoes with a fork and then sprinkle with the grated cheese.

    Sprinkle with cheese
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  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the surface is crisp and browned.

    Baked cottage pie
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  4. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Recipe Variations

  • If you have beef left from a Sunday roast, you can use it in place of the ground beef. Simply chop it in a food processor, omit the step for cooking the ground beef, and add the beef and stock to the carrot and onion mixture.
  • Use sausages instead of ground beef or lamb.
  • Use sweet potatoes in place of the meat to make a vegetarian cottage pie.