Cottage Pie (British Ground Beef and Mashed Potato Recipe)
Cottage pie is just shepherd’s pie made with beef, and is popular in the UK. Delicious beef and gravy is topped with creamy mashed potatoes, and baked to perfection!
Whether it’s called shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie that you are familiar with), I’m just here to give you a super easy and delicious recipe!
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You may have already seen or used my recipe for simple shepherd’s pie from many years ago, or possibly even made my shepherd’s pie baked potatoes.
However, you may be calling your dish a shepherd’s pie when it’s not. Do you know about cottage pie?
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What’s the Difference Between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?
It’s easy: shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with beef. If you forget, you can always think that a shepherd tends sheep, and not cows. 🐑
A classic cottage pie (or shepherd’s pie) is extremely simple. It doesn’t have a ton of vegetables, garlic, tomatoes or Parmesan cheese (no, no, Gordon Ramsay! Make it how you like it, just don’t call it a CLASSIC shepherd’s pie)! The flavor comes from using quality ingredients and some British products, which have been used for years and years, to enhance the flavor of gravy in things like pies and meat dishes.
Can I Freeze Cottage Pie?
Absolutely, 100% yes, cottage pie is perfect for freezing! In fact, this is one of the first dishes I make when I leave for some time so my husband has something to grab when he doesn’t have time to cook. I love to have frozen cottage pie on hand myself, as it is a dish I just need to pop into the oven. Half an hour later, dinner is served!
It’s also a great dish for taking to anyone you’re cooking a meal for: someone who’s had a death in the family, just had a baby, or an elderly friend or relative.
Easy Cottage Pie Recipe
recipe by Christina Conte serves 4
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 OXO beef bouillon cube (or 1 tsp beef flavor Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 Tbsp Bisto
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- Kosher or sea salt
- about 5 large potatoes
- butter, as desired
- milk and/or cream, as desired
- (optional: shredded Cheddar cheese)
Directions for the Meat Filling
In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté the diced onion over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
When the onion is just starting to brown, add the ground beef and break up into smaller pieces. Stir often, and continue to cook until the liquid starts to dry (if not using Bisto, add a tablespoon of flour at this time).
Add enough water or stock, just to cover the ingredients, and simmer.
At this point, add salt, OXO cube (or Beef Better than Bouillon), Bisto granules, Worcestershire Sauce and some freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven
Continue to simmer the meat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, then taste. Add more salt if needed, then remove from heat. While the meat is simmering…
Make the Mashed Potatoes.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until a fork or knife inserted breaks the potato. Drain and mash with good quality butter.
Then add some milk (and cream, if desired), until a soft and creamy consistency is reached.
Assemble the Cottage Pie(s).
Ladle the beef and gravy into oven safe ramekins or bowls to make individual cottage pies.
Or simply make one large dish.
Spoon (or pipe) mashed potatoes onto each dish to cover completely. It really comes out fine if you just spoon them on and then pull a fork across the potatoes.
So it looks something like this. At this point you can add shredded Cheddar cheese on top, if desired.
Freeze or Bake
At this point, if you’re going to freeze them, let them cool, then cover with cling wrap and then foil. Refrigerate until cold, then freeze.
If baking, place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the potato is browned on top.
To Bake from Frozen
Defrost completely in the refrigerator. About two hours before you want to eat, remove the pies from the fridge and allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour to an hour and a half. Place into preheated oven and bake until lightly browned.
Serve whilst hot, but don’t burn your tongue!
Isn’t this one a cutie?
Why not make a simple apple crumble or rhubarb crumble with custard for dessert?
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Cottage Pie (British Beef and Mashed Potato Recipe)
Ingredients
Meat Filling:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon beef flavor or one OXO beef bouillon cube
- 1 Tbsp Bisto
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ tsp sea salt to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper to taste
Potato Topping:
- 5 large potatoes
- ½ tsp salt to taste
- 2 oz butter as desired
- ¼ cup milk and/or cream as desired
- shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the diced onion over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
- When the onion is just starting to brown, add the ground beef and break up into smaller pieces. Stir often, and continue to cook until the liquid starts to dry (if not using Bisto, add a tablespoon of flour at this time).
- Add enough water, just to cover the ingredients, and simmer. At this point, add about salt, one OXO cube (or 1 tsp Beef Better than Bouillon), Bisto granules, Worcestershire Sauce, and some ground black pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Continue to simmer the meat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, then taste. Add more salt if needed, then remove from heat.
- Ladle the beef and gravy into oven safe ramekins or bowls to make individual cottage pies, or just one large dish. Spoon (or pipe) mashed potatoes onto each dish to cover completely. Add shredded Cheddar cheese on top, if desired.
- Place dishes/ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbly and the potato is a little browned, approximately 25-30 minutes. You can finish off the pies under the broiler if you like them to have more crispy, and brown tops.
Notes
- Serve hot, but if serving in the individual bowls or ramekins, place on another plate and be sure to warn diners that the bowl is extremely hot. Do not serve to children in this manner.
- TIP: if you are having a hard time adding the potatoes on top of the meat, just let the meat cool a little. The potatoes will be easier to add (just don't let the mashed potatoes get cold or they will be difficult to add).
Nutrition
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I’m making this tomorrow!!! For next time though, can you tell us where you purchased your ramekins?
Hi Meg, I found them at Home Goods (made in Italy). Couldn’t find them online. Hope you can find some.
something very comforting about a cottage pie or shepherd’s pie! not a lamb eater so it has to be beef for me.
Yes, agreed! I like both, but do tend to prefer cottage pie myself.
I haven’t made this one but I make one from the Harrowsmith cookbook and I recently tried the one in the 1st Outlander cookbook. Love them both but they both have a few more ingredients, such as peas & carrots, etc. Both are great. I haven’t made shepherd’s pie since I dumped it on my foot and got 2nd degree burns last year. Word of advice to all – don’t do this in those aluminum foil pans without a cookie sheet underneath. Having said that, I love shepherds/cottage pie and will try yours.
Oh no, Kelly! That’s awful! I’m so sorry to hear about the accident; I hope you don’t have any lasting injury. Peas and carrots are fine and add some nutrients, but you know me, I like the more traditional, original recipes. I think there’s something in tasting fewer ingredients that taste really good. Let me know what you think of this one. :)
oh its so good that you calked it COTTAGE PIE, not Shepherds Pie, which is traditionally made with Roast Lamb minced, My German Grandma had her mincer screwed to kitchen table, it was mixed with Tomato Sauce, topped with mash potato, browned under grill,, delicious taste and texture, no vegied in it, they were served on the side,, Us kids loved it,
Cottage Pie is mince meat fried and vegies added from the cottage garden, thus the name, Shepherds Pie originally was made with left over Family Roast to feed the Shepherds,,
This sounds absolutely delicious and seems simple enough. What can I substitute in my mashed potatoes so they are dairy free but also creamy enough for the topping?
Thank you
I don’t use anything dairy free, so I would say maybe oatmilk if I was to guess? I’m not well-versed in non dairy cuisine, unfortunately. Good luck!
With family visiting we have to cook dairy free. For mash I use plant spread and if needed a glug of water, but I don’t make it creamy enough for piping, as I only spread it with a fork. It works, the kids love it and it’s totally acceptable (actually still yummie combined with the gravy and mince) for us dairy eaters. I’d leave the cheese out though.
Thanks, Izzi! That’s helpful!
My brother uses chicken broth to make his mashed potatoes, they are not as creamy but you can adjust liquid to get a good consistency for spreading
I make mine just like this, in a 9 x 12 pyrex pan, but I add corn between the beef and the mashed potatoes. Great recipe!
I love corn!
It’s funny that we had cottage pie growing up all the time, but never shepherds pie. It’s especially odd because my parents love lamb. But I don’t think lamb mince was available readily, and we didn’t have a meat grinder. Cottage pie was one of our favorite childhood dishes. (Although my mother never piped her potatoes, she was busy enough with raising four boys…) And thank you for the rant at Gordon Ramsay. I get so angry when people say “classic Italian“ and then do something that’s so not Italian…
I wouldn’t be piping with four boys, either! :) Thanks, David. These celebrity chefs do more damage with one recipe than we could do in a lifetime. It’s upsetting.
I am from a Scottish Canadian background and grew up with my Nanny and Mother making this exact recipe. My children and husband have always called this “comfort food”. Mince and tatties is also a favourite. Thanks for highlighting these special memories for me on this cold but sunny Ontario morning.
Glad to hear it, Betty! Stay warm, I know you’ve had some cold temps there recently (family in Toronto)!