Cottage Pie Recipe
Enjoy a timeless comfort-food favourite: this hearty Cottage Pie combines a rich, savoury ground-beef and vegetable mixture with a fluffy, golden-roasted potato topping — perfect for chillier evenings or weeknight dinners when you want something satisfying yet simple.
The base starts by sautéing garlic, onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until fragrant. Ground beef is added and browned directly in that pan to capture all the flavour. A flourish of butter and flour transforms into a classic roux, then beef stock and tomato paste deepen the sauce, while chopped rosemary and thyme bring herbs into the mix. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the filling becomes thick and luxurious.
Meanwhile, russet potatoes are boiled until tender, then drained and mashed together with milk (or heavy cream) and the remaining butter — resulting in a creamy, smooth mash that sits beautifully atop the meat layer. The mashed-potato topping is spread evenly over the beef base, “sealing” it in, and finished off with shredded white cheddar for a melt-in-your-mouth golden crust.
Baked at 400°F (or under a broiler for quicker browning) until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned, this pie is a winner for families, for leftovers, and even easily adapted to vegetarian variations. With approximately 430 calories per serving, it offers a satisfying portion of protein (19g) and moderate carbs (25g) — yes, comfort food with purpose!
Cottage Pie Recipe
Whether you’re looking for a go-to dish that’s kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, or just plain delicious, this cottage pie ticks the boxes: easy to make, built for sharing, and designed to warm you up from the inside out. Serve it up straight from the oven, maybe with a side of roasted greens or steamed veggies, and dig in.
Enjoy your meal!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 0.5 onion
- 1 carrot
- medium
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- chopped
- thyme
- 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 tablespoons butter
- divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- or chicken
- 4 russet potatoes
- medium
- ⅓ cup milk
- or heavy cream
- ½ cup white cheddar shredded
- salt
- to taste
- pepper
Instructions
1.Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 400°F (or set broiler to 525°F).
Oven — Preheat to 400°F
2. Prep the aromatics
Mince the garlic, onion, carrots and celery.
3 cloves garlic½ onion1 carrot2 sticks celery
3. Prepare the potatoes
Peel and wash 4 russet potatoes.
4 russet potatoes
4. Boil the potatoes
Place potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Pot — bring to a boil
5. Sauté the veggies
In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté the minced vegetables until aromatic (about 2–3 minutes). Use 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Olive oil — 1 tbsp. Cook 2–3 min
6. Cook the ground beef
Add 1 lb ground beef and cook until golden brown. Do not drain the fat.
1 lb ground beef
7. Make the roux
Add 2 tbsp butter and melt, then stir in 2 tbsp flour until fully incorporated.
Butter (4 tbsp total used in recipe), Flour 2 tbsp
8. Thicken with stock
Pour in 1 cup beef stock and stir until the mixture thickens. Add more stock if it becomes too thick.
1 cup beef stock
9. Season the filling
Stir in 1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste, 1 tbsp chopped rosemary and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Set the filling aside.
Tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper
10. Make the mashed potatoes
When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain and return them to the pot. Add 4 tbsp butter and ⅓ cup milk, then mash until smooth.
Butter and milk added to potatoes
11. Assemble
In an oven-safe dish, spread the beef filling on the bottom, top with mashed potatoes and smooth to “seal” the filling. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded white cheddar evenly on top.
Baking dish — ready for oven
12. Bake
Place in the oven (or under the broiler) until the cheese melts and turns golden brown.
White cheddar — ½ cup, melted and golden
13. Serve
Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!
Notes
What would I change next time?
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 431.5Total Fat: 28.6gSaturated Fat: 12.66ggTrans Fat: 0.89gUnsaturated Fat: 10.68gCholesterol: 83.21mgSodium: 362.29mgCarbohydrates: 25.18gNet Carbohydrates: 21.44gFiber: 3.74gSugar: 3.51gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 19.03g
