Cottage Pie

Comfort food, good mood! When it’s cold and snowy outside, I find myself looking for a dish that feels like home! That’s where Cottage Pie comes in! This multi-layered savoury pie consists of two distinct layers: cooked minced meat and creamy mashed potatoes. This dish is comforting, cozy, hearty, evokes that warm and fuzzy feeling and couldn’t be more delicious! Whether you call it a Cottage Pie, Shepherd’s Pie or Hachis Parmentier, one thing is for certain, this is an incredibly satisfying bite! 

My Cottage Pie recipe utilizes ground beef for the meat filling, deviating from minced lamb which is traditionally used when making Shepherd’s Pie. Ground beef is sautéed in a hot skillet until slightly caramelized or browned, intensifying its natural beefy flavour. Celery, carrots, onion, peas and garlic are added to the mix, imparting freshness, crispness, savouriness and sweetness, while also giving this dish a heartier feel and substance. A couple of spoonfuls of tomato paste and fresh and dried herbs, specifically rosemary and thyme, are used to flavour the sauce, giving this Cottage Pie some added brightness, earthiness and sweetness. Red wine and beef broth form the basis of the sauce, imparting acidity, boldness, complexity, savouriness and richness to the meat filling.

Now that the filling is complete, a Cottage Pie wouldn’t be complete without a creamy and pillowy mashed potato topping. Yellow potatoes are boiled until fork tender, drained and placed back into the pot to steam. The steaming process draws out excess moisture, yielding mashed potatoes that are fluffier and lighter in nature. Grab your potato masher and get ready for an arm workout! The potatoes are mashed until silky and smooth. Butter, whole milk and sour cream are added to the mix, giving these mashed potatoes their signature creamy and luxurious flavour and texture. An unexpected ingredient, an egg yolk, helps bind the mashed potato filling while also adding richness and intensifying the potatoes golden hue.

The meat and vegetable filling is then poured into a greased baking dish. The mashed potato topping is spread evenly over the filling. Now, you can pop the Cottage Pie into the oven as is, but why not take an extra minute to give this Cottage Pie some extra TLC and a decorative flair. Presentation is everything! I love creating a crosshatch pattern over top of the mashed potatoes using a fork. If this style doesn’t float your boat, then you can use a spoon to create soft peaks or swirls. For a 5-star restaurant experience, add the mashed potatoes to a pipping bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe the mashed potatoes over top of the meat filling. Whatever option you choose, you really can’t go wrong! This Cottage Pie is bound to impress - it’s a feast for both the eyes and stomach!

This savoury pie is baked for 35 - 40 minutes or until the mashed potato topping is golden in colour and the filling is bubbling around the edges and heated through. You may be tempted to indulge as soon as it comes out of the oven but give it a few minutes to fully set and slightly cool. It’s hot, hot, hot at this stage! Then, cut the Cottage Pie into desired pieces and serve and enjoy! Serve alongside a simple side salad, such as my Simple Arugula Salad, for a comforting and memorable meal!

My Cottage Pie recipe couldn’t be easier to make, comes together in just over one hour and uses a handful of simple and everyday ingredients. Nothing beats a Cottage Pie on a cold winter’s day! Savoury meat and creamy mashed potatoes are the perfect winter combination! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more comfort food classics, try my Turkey Chili, Mac and Cheese, Meatloaf, Caprese Grilled Cheese and Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60 – 65 minutes

Total Time: 70 – 75 minutes

Serves: 8 – 10

Ingredients:

Cottage Pie Filling

• 2 lbs lean ground beef

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus ½ tsp for greasing the baking dish

• ¾ tsp kosher salt

• 3 celery stalks, diced

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• ¾ cup frozen peas

• 1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 ½ Tbsp gluten-free, low-sodium tamari (See Notes below)

• ½ Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

• ½ tsp dried thyme

Mashed Potato Topping

• 3 ½ lbs Yukon gold or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (approx. 4 – 5 large potatoes)

• Cold water

• ½ Tbsp plus ½ tsp kosher salt, divided

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

• ½ cup (14%) full-fat sour cream

• ½ cup whole milk

• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

• 1 large egg yolk (See Notes below)

Equipment You’ll Need:

• Large pot (5 qt.)

• Large stainless steel skillet

• Spatula

• Potato masher

• 9” x 13” ceramic baking dish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease a 9” x 13” rectangular baking dish with ½ tsp olive oil and set aside.

2. Cooking the Potatoes: To a large pot, add the potatoes, ½ Tbsp salt and enough cold water to cover the potatoes by at least 1-inch. Cook over high heat for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Turn off the stove, drain the potatoes and add them back into the pot to steam.

3. Creating the Cottage Pie Filling: While the potatoes are cooking, set a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 3 Tbsp olive oil, ground beef and ¾ tsp salt. Using a spatula, break up the meat and cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through and slightly caramelized.

4. Then, add the celery, carrots and onion and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Toss in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for an additional minute.

5. Reduce the heat to medium, add the peas and deglaze the skillet with red wine. Cook for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Then, add the beef broth, tamari, rosemary and thyme and stir until combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then turn off the heat.

6. Making the Mashed Potato Topping: Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until silky and smooth. Add the butter, sour cream, milk, the remaining ½ tsp salt and ground pepper and mix until combined. Toss in the egg yolk, mix until fully incorporated and set aside.

7. Assembling the Cottage Pie: Add the Cottage Pie filling into the greased baking dish, spreading it evenly over the base.

8. Spoon the mashed potatoes overtop of the Cottage Pie filling. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the mashed potato topping evenly over the filling and into the sides and corners of the baking pan, ensuring that the filling is fully covered. Then, using a fork, gently create a crosshatch pattern over the mashed potato topping.

9. Transfer the Cottage Pie into the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until the mashed potato topping is golden in colour and the filling is bubbling around the edges and heated through.  

10. Remove the Cottage Pie from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes to slightly cool. Then, cut it into desired pieces and serve and enjoy!

    
    

Notes:

1. Substituting the Gluten-Free Tamari: If you don’t mind a little gluten in your Cottage Pie, then you can simply substitute the gluten-free tamari in this recipe with low sodium soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Low sodium soy sauce can be substituted for tamari on a 1:1 basis while Worcestershire sauce should be limited to 1 Tbsp given its salinity.

2. Cracking the Egg: This recipe calls for separating the egg white from the yolk and incorporating the yolk into the mashed potatoes. The remaining egg white can be placed in an airtight storage container, refrigerated and used the following day to make an egg white omelette.