This meaty cottage pie recipe is a one pot dish made with ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, herbs, and peas in a savory beef gravy and topped with mashed potatoes.
Make your life easier and cook this traditional cottage pie recipe in a skillet that can go directly from stovetop to oven, like stainless steel or cast iron.
What is Cottage Pie?
Cottage pie is a type of savory pie made with cooked ground beef and vegetables in a gravy, topped with mashed potatoes, and then cooked in the oven, like a casserole.
Cottage pie is an English traditional recipe that is popular all over the UK and Ireland.
This cottage pie recipe is a variation of my friend Nicole's recipe, who sparked my interest in and taught me so much about cooking. It was one of her go to recipes, and she usually made it with leftovers from other meals.
The Difference Between Cottage Pie and Shepherds Pie
The main difference between cottage pie and shepherds pie is the meat. Cottage pie is made with ground beef. Shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb.
Cottage pie made with ground beef is also called minced beef. Minced beef is ground beef that has been broken up to small pieces.
It's not like your mama's beef chili or spaghetti with big chunks of ground beef.
Shepherd's pie is made with ground (minced) lamb. Lamb is the name for sheep that are less than a year old. Mutton is the name for lamb that is over a year old. It has a stronger taste and more fat.
Ground Beef Cottage Pie Filling Variations
Cottage pie is versatile and can handle all sorts of ingredients. Just make sure that your pan is large enough to hold the ingredients!
Some ideas:
- Change up the minced meat to ground turkey, chicken, venison, or lamb (lamb would be called Shepherds pie).
- favorite dry or fresh herbs: rosemary, sage, parsley, mint (especially if using ground lamb instead of ground beef).
- use a frozen diced vegetable medley and / or frozen diced onions if short on time.
- Add frozen corn or extra frozen peas.
Dry Potato Mash For Cottage Pie
Make mashed potatoes a bit drier than usual. This makes the mashed potatoes more sturdy when you lay them on top of the cottage pie filings. The mash will not sink into the cottage pie.
Make the potatoes first and let them cool and firm up while the meat is simmering. Then, cool the meat 5-10 minutes before putting the potatoes on.
It is easier to smooth the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef mixture if both are cool.
Ground Beef Cottage Pie Cooking Tips
If your gravy has too much liquid during cooking then turn up the heat to reduce it. Watch and stir it so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn.
Moderate / turn down the heat as the liquid reduces in the cottage pie filling.
Strain off any excess beef fat if needed before topping the cottage pie with mashed potatoes.
Allow potatoes to cool at least 15 minutes before topping the beef filling.
Allow beef mixture to cool around 15 minutes before adding mashed potato topping. If these are both cooler it will help the mashed potatoes settle onto the top and not run into the cottage pie filling.
Serving Ground Beef Cottage Pie
Rest cottage pie 30 - 60 minutes before slicing if you want pieces. Otherwise, just spoon it out. FYI - it's nearly impossible to get slices out of hot casseroles.
Make cottage pie earlier in the day and leave it in the oven at 175F to eat for dinner.
Things In My Kitchen:
- ovenproof baking dish to bake the cottage pie.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ground Beef Cottage Pie
EatSimpleFood.com
This traditional cottage pie recipe is a one pot dish made with ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, herbs, and peas in a rich beef gravy and topped with mashed potatoes.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop / Oven
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
Ingredients Mash Potatoes:
- 3 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped
- salt, divided
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup + half and half
Ingredients Filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup onions, diced
- 1 ¼ cup carrots, finely diced
- 1 ¼ cup celery, finely diced
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon flour (all purpose or gluten free)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cup (~ 6 oz) frozen peas
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
Make the mashed potato topping.
- In a pot add: potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1".
- Bring to a boil covered, reduce heat to low boil, and cook uncovered until tender (~8-12 minutes).
- Remove from heat, drain, put potatoes back in pan and add: ¼ teaspoon salt, butter, and cream.
- Mash it up and add more cream or salt as desired. These mashed potatoes are drier than regular mashed potatoes to hold up more sturdy as the crust.
Make the filling.
- Bring a large pan to medium high heat and add enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the pan (~ 1 Tbsp).
- When oil is hot add ground beef. Mash up the beef with the back of a spoon or fork - you want the meat to be "minced".
- When minced add onions, carrots, and celery.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for ~ 10 minutes or until carrots are nearly soft and meat is brown.
- Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Stir in the flour.
- Mix in all remaining ingredients (add broth slowly while stirring) and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer uncovered ~ 30 minutes or until gravy is thick (you don't want any liquid).
- Spoon into an ovenproof baking dish
(~ 3 qt or 8x14x3).
- Layered cooled mashed potatoes on top and level it out.
- Bake uncovered at 375 for ~25 minutes. Broil the last couple minutes (watching carefully) to crisp up the top of the potatoes until brown if desired.
- Add salt to taste. Happy eating! Beckie
(~ 3 qt or 8x14x3). Notes
- Turn up the heat to reduce if your gravy has too much liquid.
- Use frozen peas mixed with carrots if that makes your life easier. Add frozen corn if you want more filling.
- It is easier to smooth the potatoes over the top of the meat mixture if both are cool. I make the potatoes first and let them cool and firm up while the meat is simmering.
You May Also Like
Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes? If you like this ground beef cottage pie you may like a classic Reuben Sandwich. And while not Irish, the Scotch Egg recipe is unique and delicious.
Leave a Comment