Delicious Cottage Pie is made with ground beef, yellow onion, carrots, and celery in rich brown gravy and topped with creamy cheddar mashed potatoes. This is comfort food at its best, made from scratch just like Grandma cooks.
Cozy Cottage Pie
Warm, hearty, and full of flavor, this cottage pie recipe is the perfect dish for a cozy night in. Follow these simple steps to create a delicious and comforting meal for your family. With helpful tips, even the novice chef can handle this delicious pie! If you like this recipe, try chicken pot pie casserole, meatballs and gravy, chicken a la king, and hamburger casserole.
What you need
How to make Cottage Pie
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, start browning the ground beef. When it is about one-third of the way browned, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Continue cooking until the beef is browned and the onions and celery are soft. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
Sprinkle the flour in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Slowly stir in the beef broth, the red wine, if using, Worcestershire Sauce, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the peas and remove the bay leaves. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish and let it cool. For best results, chill it for at least 30 minutes to keep the layers separated.
Meanwhile, put the potato cubes in a large pot of cold, lightly salted water and bring them to a boil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them well, add the butter and warm milk, and cover.
Mash the potatoes until they are lump-free and smooth. Stir in the cheddar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the potatoes onto the chilled meat mixture. Use the tines of a fork to scratch the potato surface for slightly crispy edges. Sprinkle the top with chopped fresh thyme and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbly on the edges. Let the dish cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Shepherd’s Pie Versus Cottage Pie
You might think this is shepherd’s pie, but that is not correct. Traditional shepherd’s pie is made with lamb mince, while cottage pie is made with beef mince or ground beef, as we call it here in the United States.
Recipe Tips
- Use ground beef with a little fat. The fat flavors the meat and makes it juicy and tasty.
- Though beef is traditional for cottage pie, you can substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken.
- Thawed frozen veggies can be used in place of fresh veggies, but add them after the gravy has thickened.
- Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes both work well with this recipe. However, it is very important to remove as much moisture as possible from the potatoes after boiling. I like to drain it several times before adding the butter and warm milk.
- You can make this recipe with or without the cheddar cheese. It is delicious both ways.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves, as they have sharp edges.
- For best results, chill the beef mixture before smoothing the potatoes on. This will help keep the layers from bleeding into each other.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or reheat in the oven at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. See below for freezing instructions
How to freeze Cottage Pie
To freeze the dish from baked – first cool completely, then cover the dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Take the dish out of the fridge 40 minutes prior to reheating to come to room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Reheat covered at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
To freeze before baking – cover the dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Take the dish out of the fridge 40 minutes prior to baking to come to room temperature. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
Cottage Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth low sodium
- ¼ cup red wine optional
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Topping
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold or russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup warm milk
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high, start browning the ground beef. When it is about one-third of the way browned, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Continue cooking until the onions and celery are soft. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes while stirring. Slowly stir in the beef broth, the red wine, if using, Worcestershire Sauce, fresh thyme, and bay leaves.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Add the frozen peas and remove the bay leaves. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and let it cool. For best results, chill it for at least 30 minutes to keep the layers separated.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, put the potato cubes in a large pot of lightly salted cold water, and bring the pot to a boil. Cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them well and add the butter and warm milk. Cover and let the butter melt.
- Mash the potatoes until they are lump-free and smooth. Stir in the cheddar cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the potatoes onto the chilled meat mixture and spread evenly. Use the tines of a fork to scratch the potato surface for slightly crispy edges.
- Sprinkle the top with chopped fresh thyme and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbly on the edges. Let the dish cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use ground beef with a little fat in it. The fat is what flavors the meat and makes it juicy and tasty.
- Thawed frozen veggies can be used in place of fresh veggies, but add them after the gravy has thickened.
- Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes both work well with this recipe. However, it is very important to remove as much moisture as possible from the potatoes after boiling. I like to drain it several times before adding the butter and warm milk.
- You can make this recipe with or without the cheddar cheese. It is delicious both ways.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves, as they have sharp edges.
- For best results, chill the beef mixture before smoothing the potatoes on. This will help keep the layers from bleeding into each other.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
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Naelle Yoshimura
I love food that my kids will eat! It’s super simple hearty ingredients, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes, hmm yes please! Great meal to add to the rotation, thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Naelle!
Charla
Cottage pie is such a popular British dish, you can’t go wrong with it. Love it!
Taylor R
I made this cottage pie for dinner over the weekend and it was exactly the comfort food I was craving! My whole family loved it too!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it, Taylor!
Paula
I just started cooking, and this is on my list of top recipes to try! I was looking for a recipe that walked through all the steps easily enough for me to try it and I found you! So excited for this delicious recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Paula! Enjoy!
Eleanor
Love this Cottage Pie recipe, easy and delicious. My family loved it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Eleanor!
Ebony
I just made this for dinner today and omg, it turned out so flavorful and good! This will be a family staple for sure! 🎉 the filling is so rich and flavorful!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! We love it too!
Mary S
This was quite good, and easier to make than I would have thought. I love the mix of meat and veggies covered with cheesy mashed taters. It tasted delicious. The perfect winter comfort food.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mary! So glad that you like the cottage pie. It really is yummy!
Moni
Absolutely loved this cottage pie recipe! The step-by-step instructions made it a breeze to follow, and the end result was delicious. The combination of flavors was spot on, and my family couldn’t get enough. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe; it’s now a staple in our home!
Beth Pierce
That is great! So happy that you like it. We love it too! It is great comfort food!
Melanie E
This is one of my husbands favourite dishes. It is such a lovely warming comfort food for the winter and perfect for enjoying after a long day at work.
Beth Pierce
I could not agree more!
Zachary
My mom used to make such a tasty cottage pie. I decided to try the recipe since I missed my moms cooking. It was just as good and not too difficult to make. What a blast from the past. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Zachary!
May
Yes on the difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie! I also blogged about this years ago and I had to explain it to a couple of my friends who read my blog. Beef is so much better, IMO. But they are both delicious!
Frankie
This was so yummy! It was easy to make and your instructions were easy to follow. I will make this again. Thanks for the great recipe, Beth.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Frankie!
Rose
So nice and hearty. this was the first dish my oldest son made for the family when he started to cook and it’s a good recipe for when you’re starting out, but it’s still just as good when you’re a seasoned cook (pun intended). 🙂
Beth Pierce
So true, Rose!
Clara
Wow! It’s been a while since we had some cottage pie and this looks delicious. I agree with you that this is comfort food. Appreciate the tips. Can’t wait to make this one again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Clara! Enjoy!
Lana
Great cottage pie recipe. It baked up perfectly. I followed your tip on cooling the pie before spreading the mashed potatoes. It worked and kept the layers from bleeding into each other. I will make this again and again. It is the best comfort food.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Lana! It is just perfect for this cold winter.
Oliver
This is my favorite kind of comfort food. It was so yummy and easier to make than I anticipated thanks to you great directions and tips. It is a new family favorite.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Oliver. I am so happy that you and your family liked it!